


Zootopia: Power Struggle

by VarCapel



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Crime Fighting, Drama & Romance, F/M, Organized Crime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-07-04 18:04:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 37
Words: 91,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VarCapel/pseuds/VarCapel
Summary: Big has run a successful street empire for nearly a decade. But a mysterious newcomer has come to challenge his reign. Will the clash of titanic ego's spell doom for Zootopian's caught in the crossfire?





	1. Ocean Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I am taking a more anthropomorphic approach with the characters for this one. This means that certain characters will undergo a change in their size and shape just a bit. So Big for example, is not three inches tall. He will of course, be short. Small animals will still be short. Larger animals will still be large. They are just more anthropomorphic/humanoid in their appearance.
> 
> I now give you:
> 
> Zootopia: Power Struggle

The weight of the oxygen tank strapped to Jack's back conspired with gravity to pin him to the floor of the deck. But he resisted the weight with ease. The fishing boat he borrowed from his friend, Gregory, floated on slowly swelling waves. Jack stood firm familiar with the rocking of the sea and the toll it takes on the body. He stepped toward the edge of the boat. His long ears were pressed hard against his head under the hood of his wetsuit. The goggles he wore to keep the saltwater from his eyes strangled his skull. Only his breathing apparatus was somewhere near comfortable. The anonymous tip he received from who he hoped was an honest citizen said that a suspicious shrew and two bears were seen dumping large black bags into the ocean somewhere off the shore of Zootopia. Without delay, he dropped into the ocean not looking back at his allies watching from behind.

Jack took slow breaths and scanned the waters, looking right and left. He lingered for some minutes close to the surface, not diving deeper than forty feet. When he exhausted the sights at this depth, he descended. With every few dozen feet, light from the sun dimmed in the water. The waves above him no longer pushed against him but the pressure of the ocean on his body increased. This area looked sparsely populated with living creatures. Weeds swayed below him as they stretched upward, desperate for attention from the sun. He turned to face left and looked at a cage that was dropped into the ocean in the distance. He then stared past it and continued to scan the floor with his eyes.

Static hissed in his ears. An impatient voice asked,

"Did you find anything?"

"No, Selene. Wait," He commanded. Jack looked at the ever dropping slope of the ocean floor as its depth stretched without end. Colored rocks, shells, and plants gave the floor a kaleidoscope of colors that played tricks on his eyes and concealed whatever it was he searched for. Even he wasn't sure what could be found. A body farm perhaps? He was sure that his target, a violent shrew and leader of organized crime in Zootopia, was dumping bodies in the ocean. But would he realize what they were if he came across them? The radio crackled again,

"It's been almost an hour. Your tank is getting low. Time to go, Jack!" He grunted in frustration and surrendered to Selene's warning. He swam toward the cage floating in the water, tugged by the string attached to it. As he entered, he paused at a sudden motion below: on the ocean floor was a pile of colored rocks. One of them appeared to move. Long slithering appendages began to stretch out from under the rubble. The object quickly changed shape and color. It hastily swam away as it pushed off the rubble.

"Check that out. An octopus!" Having no bones, high intelligence, and impressive shape-shifting abilities, this octopus hid from the strange boat above it fearing a predator. It fled when Jack and the boat came too close.

 _Beautiful_ , he thought. Looking through the bars of the cage just inches from his face, he snapped back to attention and contacted Selene over the radio,

"Alright, pull me in."

His feet were pushed up by the floor of the cage as it began to rise up and out of the ocean. The cage broke through the surface and released him with a sigh and the applause of splashing water. He waited patiently as the swelling waves made the cage rock turbulently while it was pulled up to the boat. Jack held onto the bars for balance.

"Gregory! Get a ladder for the outer wall of your boat, this is ridiculous." They hurried to Jack once the cage was steadily set on the edge. With a wry grin Gregory, a seal, opened up the door to the cage.

Jack removed his mask first, glad to be rid of the uncomfortable device. He rubbed the sides of his striped head. You could now see the simple features of his face. His muzzle was short and he had whiskers. His fur was a light gray. He also had gray eyes. The bulges on the top of his head betrayed long curled ears that ached to be free from the tight hood. He freed his head fully now. Black stripes curved around his head to sharp points along the sides of his cheeks. His ears stood up free from their trap. He rubbed them to relieve the pinch. The tips of his ears were black, following the pattern along his head.

"We're going back to the docks in the Sahara," said Gregory.

"Fine." Jack scowled as he turned to face Zootopia and worked on removing his diving boots. The city in the distance bobbed up and down as the boat rolled over the swelling waves.

"Big got away with another one, Selene." He kept his gaze focused on the city.

"The ocean is good at keeping secrets, Jack."

"I'll be sure to squeeze the truth out of it."

"What do we do now?" Gregory asked, picking up the pieces of the fallen equipment. Jack stood silent, listening to the chatter behind him.

"You don't need to do anything but worry about the docks, sailor." Selene pat Gregory on the back. "We appreciate the help."

"Anything for a respected official, Ms." Jack sighed with disappointment.

"Respected official," he repeated mockingly. "Our justice system sucks..."

Jack walked back inside while peeling off the rest of his uncomfortable suit. It wasn't long after he absent-mindedly put together scraps of leftovers to make a salad that Selene and Gregory were following him into the galley just near the resting quarters. There was a sink in the back of the room. An L-shaped sofa took up the center space next to a table that had been set next to it. The furniture was bolted down to prevent shifting in restless waters.

Jack impatiently ate a mixed pepper and beet salad.

"Swimming always makes me hungry," he said. He watched as Selene scooted over next to him and rested her arms on the table. Gregory remained standing and maintained a respectful distance from the two.

"Agent Savage? How should we proceed? Big killed another scout and tossed the body into the ocean, this we know. But even if we manage to find the corpse, how can we pin it on him?" Jack grimaced at the question and said nothing. Maybe he was taking the wrong approach. But who did he really have to help him? Sure, Selene and Gregory seemed willing, but they were powerless allies. It was Jack who was in some position of authority. Yet, no one would listen to his warnings about the shrew named Arthur Bigsby.

"Sir?" Selene asked after a time. He looked at her and his ears twitched to her call.

"I'm no longer concerned with trying to strap him down to our lazy justice system," Jack finally said. "No, I want the evidence for other reasons. He has many connections in the streets and has ways to shift the blame on expendable allies." Jack licked the food off his muzzle and wiped himself with a napkin. "I'm going to take a different approach. I will need to play the game," he said. Gregory snorted,

"Are you considering undercover work?"

"Not exactly. I'll agitate the bee-hive and tap into Big's resources. I plan to use them and slowly pull them away."

"How?" Selene asked.

"I'm still trying to figure that out." Gregory put his hands in his pockets and nodded. The speakers squealed again,

"Our E.T.A to the docks is twenty minutes." For a while now, Jack had been studying what he could about Big and his mob. But he always felt he was a step behind. In order to expand his own reach, he needed more allies. He could only do so much in the M.I.C. without drawing suspicion from his superiors. Why couldn't they just let him investigate Big? Weren't threats at home just as important as foreign ones? What good is being a Lead Investigative Official if you can't use your talents at home? Jack folded his paws on the table and looked to Selene then Gregory.

"I want you both to consider what I am about to ask of you. Can you support me no matter the decisions I make? Can you back me even if you may question my choices? Would you be willing to follow me into the ugliest alleyways in this fight to take down the worst crime lord in Zootopia?"

Selene and Gregory looked at each other. "Geez, Sir you're not Batcat," said Selene. Gregory took a thoughtful breath then said,

"I am at your service, Sir. It would be an honor." Jack glanced at Selene, still waiting for a straight answer.

"I...you are my boss. And you've always been good to me. I can support you," she said timidly.

"Selene, I will need more confidence than that. If you say you cannot, then your services will no longer be required and you are free to seek employment elsewhere. Or, you can tell me now that you will commit and be part of this team." Jack gave her a firm but not quite unfriendly stare. He waited patiently, conscious of his harsh request. After mulling it over, she finally said,

"Yes. I will support you. I trust you to do the right thing." Jack put a hand on her shoulder and nodded gratefully.

"Good."

"Will you be working with the ZPD?" Gregory asked. Jack growled. He shook his head then leaned back into his seat.

"The ZPD will be mostly useless. But there are some good people I can use from there. I'll have to tap into their resources. That will be the easy part with me being a LIO. The hard part..." He stopped himself. It was too early to tell what he could do or how.

"The hard part?" Selene asked. Jack's ears twitched and he blinked a thought away.

"Nothing, sorry. I let my thoughts run astray. Excuse me." Selene left her seat to allow an exit for Jack. He took his bowl to the kitchen sink and washed up in silence.


	2. Buffalo's Burdens

Chief Bogo slammed shut his office door with enough force to cause the blinds to rattle in protest.

"The slimy bastard!" he snarled and stomped to his water cooler. "How did he walk?" he muttered as he paced his office. The mug in his hand shook violently.

He had just returned from a trial involving a short fennec fox named Finnick. The fox was arrested for running a fabric shop with a fraudulent license and for selling stolen unmarked jackets to arms pushers. At the trial, prosecutors failed to produce the evidence needed to convince the jury and the judge that Finnick's business license was fraudulent. Their case unraveled completely when they also failed to prove Finnick sold any jackets at all. A magic trick in court, if Bogo ever saw one.

The chief sat down in his worn black leather chair and drank his water. The cool touch of the armrests on the chair stood in stark contrast to his burning blood. He leaned forward in his seat and looked through his now outdated case file which sat next to a pile of neatly stacked papers and multicolored folders. He scanned through the notes, searching for any contradiction that could have led to the disaster of a verdict. He struggled to avoid glossing over the finer details as he darted his eyes up and down the papers and pictures.

He wearily sighed, unable to notice anything wrong. Chief Bogo briefly closed his eyes, trying to run through the trial in his head. Something foul had transpired. There was just enough evidence to book Finnick. Of this, he was sure. But what went wrong? A heavy ache sat in his chest even after he exhaled. He rubbed his eyes.

Chief Bogo would never confess how he secretly hurt whenever the system failed to do its job. Bogo wondered about who it was the fox had supplied. What were those people going to do with those jackets? They were thick enough to prevent penetration from large claws. Who could need such jackets? All the worst scenarios played in Bogo's mind. A knock on the door forced him out of his racing thoughts.

"Yes?" Chief Bogo straightened up in his seat and watched as a female rabbit timidly walked into the office. Her bright purple eyes glowed in the dimly lit room. She frowned and said in a meek voice,

"Chief? Are you alright?" He quietly groaned,

"Oh no." Judy Hopps; a new recruit. The over-achieving naive die-hard optimist. She proved to him multiple times already that she had barely enough of an attention span to remember to respect the chain of command at all times. Somehow, Judy always found a way to unwittingly jump in on more experienced officers work. With mixed results. He stared at her with just enough patience to maintain a professional attitude. Choosing his words carefully he said,

"My team failed to convict a sleazy fennec fox for illegal sales and collusion with arms dealers. No, I'm not alright. How can I help you?" He hoped his direct response would drive home the point he was trying to get across to her.

"I'm sorry you're having a rough day," she said. "Is there any way I could be of assistance?"  _You can assist me by going home_ , he wanted to say. But he knew he was talking to the try-hard over-achiever. And it made him shudder to think of what would happen if he wasn't around to pick up after her errors. But tonight, he couldn't think of an excuse fast enough to push her away. Fatigue blocked off access to his reasoning skills. Before responding, he briefly reflected on how she never ceased to respond politely to him even when he treated her with contempt.

"I have an idea, Hopps." Her cute face stretched into that innocent hopeful smile. Her ears stood stiff and alert. Bogo almost cooed at the sight. She sure knew how to make tongue-lashing her difficult. But for once, he decided to try something different,

"See, I've realized that I don't let you patrol the streets much. You are quite charming. I want you to try and collect information from the friends of the fennec fox."

"Oh, yes!" she said gratefully. Though she failed to respect the authority of her superiors, she craved their approval and was unfailingly polite.

"Tomorrow, I will assign you some persons of interest. Though they are not suspected of a crime themselves, I believe they may provide insight into how Finnick managed to walk free. I will be working on how to rein in the three arms dealers tomorrow. More news to follow in the coming days."

"Sir, I'll do my best."

"Is there any other reason you have come to my office?" The buffalo asked.

Judy turned her gaze away from Chief Bogo and fidgeted with her fingernails.

"I just stopped by because I was curious about the case. And I saw you walking by looking upset." The chief smiled,

"It is past six now. Your shift is over, sweetheart. And I need a moment to myself. Goodnight, Officer Hopps."

"Yes, sir! Goodnight."

* * *

Officers Delgato, and Grizzoli, the only lion and polar bear on the force, respectively, left the station in a hurry. Delgato didn't wait for his partner to clock out before he darted to the exit of the station.

"We did our part," Grizzoli said, jogging to catch up to him.

"Shush! Don't talk about it," Delgato replied. The bear was way too brazen for his own good. How could he speak so calmly about the verdict?

"Don't worry. We'll be fine. He doesn't suspect us." Grizzoli stuffed his large paws into his pockets and walked beside Delgato nonchalantly. Delgato couldn't help the trembling as he spoke,

"You don't know that." With a huff, Grizzoli slapped Delgato's right shoulder.

"If you keep behaving like that, you'll draw attention to yourself. You have to calm down."

"I'm a coward, okay?" Delgato spoke in a loud whisper as they speed-walked through the streets. What a big case it was. Delgato still couldn't believe that their trick worked in court. Somehow, Finnick went free.

"I texted Big as soon as it was over. I just want to get home. Tomorrow is my day off so I'll check in with Big and see about our reward for protecting Finnick." Grizzoli pat him on the back,

"Good work. Switching Finnick's bad license with a legit one at the last second helped save his ass. He is one of our better fences. You will be treated right." Delgato couldn't resist taking credit for that one. That was good thinking. For all his cowardice, he knew he was brainy. Grizzoli waved off the frightened lion and split paths with him and headed to Savanna station to catch a train back to Tundratown.

Delgato glanced at his phone and noticed a text message from an unknown number:

"Mr. Big takes care of those loyal to him. Your family will receive a surprise monetary gift for your service. And you will be granted the use of my guards in times of need. I expect to see you tomorrow at 1.00 P.M. Do not be late." Delgato quickly deleted the text message and rushed home.


	3. The Street Vendor

Judy walked up the steps to the Zootopia Police Department. She glanced at the large badge sculpture placed above the entrance and smiled. With energetic steps and an incorruptible optimism, she headed inside. Chatter from officers around the hall assaulted her ears. She blocked out the noise with her own thoughts and hurried to the front desk to sign in. After greeting Clawhauser at the desk, she made her way to the bullpen.

"Awesome. A packed house. Hey, Francine." Judy waved to the elephant in the center of the room. She sat between a giraffe and a zebra. Francine turned and nodded her head up in acknowledgment, waving with her trunk.

One of the great things to Judy was how diverse the department was. There were several mammals of nearly a dozen species enlisted. Judy walked by bears, some rhino's, several species of feline and canine. Some zebras, sheep, and elephants. What had once become an intimidating sight to her, seeing large predators and even larger powerful herbivores, had become exciting. She got caught up in all the differences between them. But the mannerisms between the species did not differ by much. The more she saw how different species came together in Zootopia and adapted to a similar style of etiquette, the more she grew to love the city.

The Chief entered just as Judy, the only current rabbit cop as far as she knew, settled into her seat.

"Good morning, Officers. Let's get right to it." Chief Bogo adjusted the small glasses on his muzzle and began listing off the different assignments for his officers. As promised, Chief Bogo instructed Judy to canvas the streets to dig up information from Finnick's friends. There were two people she was ordered to seek out: Julian, a dark gray skinned aardvark, and a green-eyed red fox named Nick Wilde.

"Let me remind you, Hopps. These mammals are only to be questioned. Do not get ahead of yourself. Be courteous and professional at all times." Judy nodded seriously,

"Yes, sir." She remembered his distress last night and hoped she could provide him with good news. Bogo looked at her with a curious scowl then said,

"Good luck." She ignored his doubtful expression and took the case file. It was an orange folder with an unmarked tab on its left corner. She gently pushed the cover open and pulled out one of the three pages inside while she walked back out of the station. She looked at the first page of Julian's profile.

"Hmm, petty thievery. One count of grand larceny too? Huh." She mumbled aloud as she read, walking to her car and barely paying attention to her direction. "One year in prison. Serves you right..." She glanced at the further notes and read that he was released early on good behavior for defending a guard from a violent inmate. He lived in the South Rainforest District. The expression in his mugshot convinced Judy that this was a pitiful and fearful mammal.

After taking a breath in an effort to withhold her harshest judgments, she read through Julian's file again as she stood in front of her car.

"Sounds like he just has more bad luck than anything else." Judy's ears drooped sympathetically. She reminded herself why she became an officer. It wasn't to bully others or shame them. It was to help others. Even if they were difficult. Proud of recalling one of her principles, she shuffled his paper to the back then read Nick Wilde's file as she walked round to the driver's seat of her car. Nick bore an expression of contempt in his mugshot. The flash from the camera lit up his green eyes. She skimmed through the list of offenses and read them aloud,

"One count of assault, six counts of fraud and three counts of theft. A rough one with a penchant for lying hmm?" Radio chatter from neighboring officers passing by snapped her to attention.

"Hey, Judy! Stop reading love letters and get to work. Haha!" Judy shook her head at the otter, Officer Oats. She playfully stuck out her tongue at him and finally entered her vehicle and sat behind the wheel. She resumed her study of Nick's profile. He too, like Julian, spent a year in jail and was released early on good behavior. His last night spent in jail was over two years ago.

"He doesn't look like a friendly one," she mumbled. After placing the file down in the passenger seat next to her, she turned on her car. As she pulled out of the lot, she wondered about who to see first. The lying thieving fox or the aardvark? Only a short moment later as she stopped at her first traffic light, she decided to hit the Rainforest District first.

travel to the Rainforest District was sluggish and ate up more time than she expected. Her trip quickly turned into a disappointment. Julian was not at his address. She spoke with neighbors hoping someone nearby was familiar with Julian. But all the mammals that she questioned could not assist her with any useful information. The sun began to dip in the sky, alerting Judy of the afternoon hours creeping up on her. Geometric shapes cut the light as it squeezed through the countless branches and leaves of the trees surrounding her.

"I can't believe I spent five hours here already!"

With impatient steps, she hurried back to her vehicle.  _If I can beat rush hour, I'll still have time to try to catch Nick._

"Shops, shops..." Judy walked west along a busy shopping district. A note she overlooked in Nick's profile said he operates a food truck in South Savanna. Straight ahead, as she threaded her way through the crowd of mammals walking back and forth, she caught sight of a long food truck sitting on the next corner across the street. The dipping sun coated the truck and the city in fiery orange light.

A soft energetic voice barked on the street corner from the truck,

"Fried fish. Still hot. Come and buy!" Judy watched as an arm waved in the air in an effort to attract customers. His fur was colored brown from his paws up to his elbows and gave him an appearance like wearing a permanent pair of long stylish gloves. The rest of his fur was orange-red. Encouraged by at least finding a red fox, Judy hurried up to the stall.

"Just two snappers for five dollars. Tundra Char for eight. My hottest seller, eel for seven!" She was cut off by a penguin couple approaching the truck ahead of her. Judy waited in line behind them, trying to catch pockets of fresh air and not choke on the offensive odors of frying fish. The hazards of being a herbivore. The vendor gave the couple a wide-eyed smile of familiarity and asked for their order.

"Four Tundra Char, Nick," the female penguin said.  _Yes! She said 'Nick'. Gotcha._  Judy stealthily fist pumped by her side as she patiently waited and observed the fox.

"You got it, ma'am. thirty-two dollars, please." Nick scooped up the fish and wrapped them in foil before placing them into a white paper bag as he waited for her to pass the money. "Just in time too. Just finished these." She handed Nick thirty-five dollars and said,

"You can keep that, darling." Nick smirked and looked at the male penguin next to her,

"You better watch it hubby or I'll marry her myself." The male penguin chuckled,

"Fifty bucks and she's yours." He was rewarded with an elbow to the ribs.

"Roger!" Judy stood captivated by the playful exchange. The only disturbance being the smell of fish. She occasionally gulped for air.

"Fish is all packed. Here you go," Nick handed them their order and they exchanged goodbyes. Noticing Judy, he quickly reached under his counter. Judy walked up and waited for him to appear again as she listened to the frantic shuffling from inside. He stood back up with a license for viewing and tapped his counter nervously with his short claws.

"Hello, Officer. What would you like?" Nick forced a smile.

"Excuse me, sir," she began, "my name is Officer Hopps. Are you Nick Wilde?" Nick sighed,

"Yes. The last I checked, that was my name." Judy quickly glanced at his truck and looked at the foxes outfit. He did not wear gloves while handling his food. And she could not visibly see any choking hazard posters that were mandatory in all food establishments in Zootopia. Even for mobile trucks. Judy tried to think of a way to warm up the conversation and said,

"How has business been?" Nick looked at her with a stoic half smile. She couldn't tell if her attempts at charm were working or if he was going to shell up and be anti-social.

"Well, I have been raking in the green, I'm happy to say." Nick became more animated in his responses. Judy tried matching his energy, but could feel the awkwardness especially when she pointed a finger at him,

"I'm glad to see you're working hard. I would like to ask you some questions about someone you may have had contact with in the past." She gave him a big smile, nose twitching, ears alert. Nick placed his hands on his hips. His stare hardened.

"Okay, Carrots. What is it you want?" a hint of frustration in his soporific voice.

"Carrots?" She tilted her head surprised by his attitude. "I just wanted to ask you about the recent trial involving a fennec fox named Finnick." Nick wrinkled his muzzle at the name.

"I don't know much about that," Nick said and turned his gaze away from Judy.

"Isn't he a friend of yours?" Judy stuck her left hand into her pocket and pushed a button on a pen.

"Darling, I know everybody. I get picked on by officers all the time. Whatever magic connection you guys think I have to anyone and everyone that walks up to my little street shop doesn't exist. So buy something and leave me alone or just leave me alone. I'm minding my business. How about you do the same?" He grabbed a pair of tongs and pointed them at Judy then squeezed them twice like they were a pair of lobster claws. She scoffed and said,

"Look, Finnick has been involved in dirty business and he made a suspicious sale to some potentially dangerous mammals. All I'm asking for is a little info so that the ZPD can try to prevent something awful from happening" Remembering to maintain politeness, she held onto her patience and asked, "Who were Finnick's customers?" Nick stifled a chuckle,

"That info will cost more than what your salary can afford, sweetheart. I can't help you." All the while Judy conversed with Nick, she noticed him looking behind her at would-be customers that shied away as their conversation devolved into a mini-argument. Judy continued to try to probe for information in as polite a way as she could. Though his obnoxious responses were slowly wearing down her patience.

"Nick, if you have anything that I can use, I'd really appreciate it. Be a part of something positive. Maybe Finnick could be the one in danger." At that, Judy swore she saw him react when she mentioned the possibility of Finnick being in trouble.  _Had I more knowledge of these two, I could use that right now as leverage to get some info from him. Damn..._

"I am doing something positive," Nick said. "I'm selling delicious food to happy customers who just love my company. Isn't that good enough? I'm only a street vendor. And a good one." A mouse walked by and waved saying,

"Hi, Nick!" Nick smiled at Judy after acknowledging the mouse by waving back.

"See? I know everybody." Judy frowned, not seeing a way to pull anything useful out of him. She acquiesced to her failure in the conversation and slowly blinked at the fox then softly said,

"I'll buy a tomato if you have one." She reached into her left pocket and clicked her pen again.

"Actually-" Nick bent down to open up a cooler. He moved some produce around until he found a cold red tomato "-I have one right here. Just take it. On me." Judy's ears perked up in surprise. She reflexively smiled.

"If you ever want to talk, I'll be available. I'd really appreciate anything on Finnick or his customers. I'm not here to give you a hard time, Nick." Judy slumped away and heard her watch beeping.

"Oh no, my shift is over!" She stuffed the tomato into a pouch she carried and ran back to her parked patrol car.

As Judy headed back to the station, she thought about her encounter with the secretive fox. He was certainly rough around the edges. But to hide behind all those fake smiles must have been emotionally exhausting. It left her curious. There was a warmth about him and she struggled to decide if it was genuine or part of his mask.

"Nobody could be that sociable and be that big of a jerk at the same time," she mumbled. His hard shell had cracks. "What did he mean by he knew everybody?" There were answers Judy wanted. But figuring out how to get those answers was proving to be difficult. She needed to find Finnick. If anything, Nick bragging about knowing people only kept him on her radar.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a carrot shaped pen. The pen was a family toy given to her when she was younger. It still worked due to lack of use. It had a hidden microphone to record audio. For a toy, it was quite useful and clearly recorded sounds from an impressive distance. She played the bits of the conversation she recorded to herself and listened to how his voice changed over the course of their conversation. After replaying the audio for the third time she audibly thought,

"There's definitely a heart in there somewhere. And I think it's broken." She put the pen back in her pocket and resolved to continue her investigation into Nick and Finnick. "I'm not letting any of this go."


	4. Meet the Wretched

Mr. Big entered his private study; a small room tucked in the corner of the first floor of his home. He decorated it with black and white tile floors and an assortment of sculptures depicting mythical creatures. He briefly admired the small stone figures that shared space on the shelves with his books. A large safe was kept behind his desk in the right corner of the room. Over the last nine years, the four-foot shrew built a reputation for being ruthless, fearless, oppressive and dogmatic. He cherished every one of these adjectives and developed a set of binding principles in order to distinguish himself further. Rules that needed to be obeyed by his family and treated like religious commandments: Deliver on time and perform your best. Family gets the best and only the best and it is expected that family gives its best in return. Everyone can be bought. Payment comes in two colors: green and red.

Big pulled out a five-wheeled office chair from under his desk and sat down. He pressed his back into the chair and shrugged his shoulders before further pulling open a drawer that sat ajar. Inside was a large binder sticking out over the edge. He placed the binder on his desk, careful to avoid knocking over his bottle of Viper, an alcoholic beverage. There was much business to get to. Thankfully, his daughter Frieda was quite the secretary.  _I should treat her to something special_ , he thought.

He pulled open the rings of his binder and took out three colored folders that had notes recently scribbled on their faces. The purple folder read, "Pay the hustlers." The white folder had a note that read, "Clean the icebox," and the green folder read, "Business Deals."

He turned to the green folder first and pulled off the post-it note his daughter had placed on it the day before. On it was a phone number to a fabric shop. The shop was Finnick's Fabrics. Big had sent three elk scouts to Finnick's shop a month ago to have them do some scouting for a potential fence. One of the three elks managed to become friendly enough with the short fennec fox and picked up on some personal struggles that Finnick was dealing with. Finnick confessed to running a shop with an illegitimate license. Finnick missed the registration deadline to renew his license. But with a mix of coercion, bribes and cunning, Big helped the fox earn a new license in exchange for him being a fence to help move special clothing.

Big smiled as Finnick accepted the deal and their partnership became concrete.  _Finnick is a good fox. Loyal, reliable._  Big threw away the note. He already memorized the address and phone number of Finnick's shop.

"Another one enters the family," Big said audibly. He smiled proudly of his new acquisition and expected obedience from Finnick, as well as Delgato and Grizzoli. He paid for their support and loyalty with many thousands of dollars and the teeth and tails of his opposition.

Big's daughter Frieda entered his study. He noticed her green silk dress and red high-heels. Her long black hair was fluffed up and stood tall like a proud ostrich puffing out its chest.

"Hey, Sweetpea."

"Daddy, are we ordering out tonight?" She loudly chewed her bubblegum. Big smiled and said,

"Sure. We'll be ordering those granola bowls with cinnamon worms tonight, yes. But if I get my way, every business in Zootopia would work for me." Frieda grinned through her teeth as she chewed. "Soon there will be a free market trade that rivals that of the riff-raff and their legal dealings. I'll make the laws. And the street hustlers will rule the markets under my wing. No goods will be off limits. Everything will be for sale. Nothing will be done without my say. And all of it will work out for the best." He sighed in a raspy breath and groomed his bushy eyebrows. Frieda spat her gum into a small trash can next to his desk. "Are the jackets ready, sweetheart?"

"Yes," Frieda said. "The jackets are being duplicated now. Our designer is brilliant," she chortled. Big nodded.

"We're going to need our strikers well armored for what is to come. Tundratown is mine. It's time to spread out. But one thing at a time. We need to...weaken the opposition." Big pulled out a small board with a painting of Zootopia's districts from the back of his binder. He picked up the shot glass holding his second serving of Viper and placed it on the map. He pushed it over Sahara square with one finger and onto a small red circle with the words, "Judge Hilo" written next to it.


	5. Identity Crisis

Jack opened his eyes and took in his dark room. He sat up without a hint of grogginess and glanced at his clock: 4:15 A.M. The high pitched chirping of crickets continued just out his window.  _Yet again I beat the clock_ , he thought. A pleasant breeze snuck through the open window nearest his bed and rushed into his well-furnished room. He stood up and stretched enthusiastically, stretching his toes and digging them into the floor enjoying the tingling sensation of relief that bounced on his muscles. He slowly walked through his dark home to the bathroom, urged by a full bladder. The walls of his home hummed with energy. It was one of the many security features he had installed.

He glanced at the mirror above his bathroom sink and mused on how to maintain secrecy while getting closer to Big's contacts. He couldn't just buddy up to known criminals given his status and position. He was too public and too well known even amongst the politically ignorant. What if the media got wind of his actions? How quickly would the public turn on him? Will his superiors come down on him? It would be incredibly awkward for those who continued to support him and his work in the M.I.C. He weighed the risks of getting dirty with liars, killers, and thieves. Then he shook off the thoughts as he opened his bottle of mouthwash.

"Come on, Jack. There is an official city gathering later today. Keep your head together..." The Mayor would be present. He expected it to be a boring event where suits shook hands and smiled then went back to their respective holes and accomplished nothing.

He fought the urge to snarl at his reflection. How did it come to this? What changed over all these years working as a Lead Investigative Official for overseas Zootopian affairs? In his six years of service, who did he really help? Nothing he did felt like it had any significant positive impact. All he ever heard for years after every accomplished mission was some demagoguery by another suit during some public gathering. Never has he seen the face or been in the presence of anyone that he rescued long after a mission was done. He has hunted mammal traffickers, poachers, crime lords and anarchists across several continents. All he could remember were the sounds of chaos. The running from one enemy and the chasing down of another. The long court proceedings and complex cultural standards that shaped the laws of the different nations.

The brief glimpse of a smile or a nod from someone who realized Jack was there to help were the only things that brought him comfort. But did that actually make a difference in the long run? Were those lives truly any better? He never knew. He wondered if all he did was provide them with nothing more than a second wind before the next round of suffering.

 _I could save a life, but if that life remains under a corrupt and incompetent government, how is that person ever truly safe?_ He let a forlorn sigh escape him. "I'm not what they say I am." Returning to the thought of how to conceal his identity, Jack looked at his facial features and overall toned body in the mirror. He paid attention to his stripes, his long ears, short muzzle, and flat slender shape. He traced the contours of his body with his eyes and a finger.

 _I need an alias. A mask_ , he thought. An idea suddenly struck as he turned his head. He noticed its oval shape. There were a few mammals with similar body features he could take advantage of. The first thought was a squirrel. They have similarly shaped heads but shorter ears. He could disguise himself as a squirrel. And knowing his line of work, he didn't have to settle for some cheap costume. He knew some people who could do the job. But before he could bother any close contacts that could help, he first needed raw materials.

"Yes, after the event today, I'm going shopping..."

* * *

Councilors, economists, officials with various titles, and the wealthy elite including Judge Hilo gathered at the Sahara Sand Hall overseen by Mayor Lionheart and his assistant Bellwether. Judge Hilo was a wolf and an impartial judge. He was a favorite of Chief Bogo's. The Sahara Sand Hall was Zootopia's second of three locations where city officials would meet publicly to encourage political activism among Zootopians and to update them on the various happenings around the city.

Jack blended into the crowd, preferring to stay near the taller mammals to shield himself from the insatiable photographers looking to snap the latest picture for a stupid fluff piece. Among the boring politicians, he was treated like a celebrity. Tonight, he had little patience for photography. He shook hands here and there and nodded politely. But real partnership went beyond handshakes and smiles. He could feel the awkwardness around him, especially among the different species present. Jack observed how many mammals approached others of a different species. The most he saw done was a handshake and a nod supported by a fake smile. But they quickly retreated back to their own clans, as Jack liked to call them. They nursed their drinks and picked at their foods.

 _Apathy as usual._  Lost in thought, the words of his constituents buzzed in his head only half heard,

"Jack." He turned his gaze to a female fox addressing him, "You should speak to the crowd about our new budget for the ZPD." Wide-eyed with the realization he was supposed to speak, he hurried to the lectern placed at the front of the large room.

"Excuse me," he began. The room slowly quieted. He didn't have the motivation to speak and believed that his low energy could be felt through the room. When he heard the snapping of a picture being taken, he turned to the photographer who broke the newborn silence and shouted, "Knock it off!" The room burst into murmurs and even a few giggles. Jack started again, "Now, I am pleased to report that the ZPD will receive a seven percent increase in funds for the coming quarter. Zootopia's economy has strengthened these past three months, and we have relegated the extra funds to long-neglected city services."

" It is through your donations and the continued support of good citizens that we have prospered this year. Mayor Lionheart will provide more details on how we can continue in this positive direction. Thank you for your votes, your support and faith in us. These new funds should help the ZPD acquire much needed new equipment and training to provide officers with the latest tools to continue their dominance over the ever-changing face of crime in our city. Thank you."

As Jack hurriedly left the podium, a sudden tug on his arm forced his attention back its source. He stared at the fox.

"Hey. You have to be more careful. Don't shout at the audience members like that." Jack avoided her gaze and snatched his arm back,

"I have a lot on my mind. Excuse me." With his job of being a decoration for politicians only half complete, he walked out of the Sahara Sand Hall. He was sure to get many angry messages from partners still attending the event. And Jack planned to ignore them all. He looked around the streets of the Sahara.

"How am I going to find these materials I need?" He thumped a foot rapidly on the stone steps leading to the Hall. He remembered Frank, an old partner of his from the MIC. Jack picked up his phone. Fortunately, there came a response,

"Hello, Jack?"

"Frank. Good to hear from you. Listen, I was wondering if you knew anybody around Zootopia that could help with finding good quality materials like latex, rubber and some fabrics. But it needs to be someone private. This is for a tight-lipped job. Personal." Frank paused as he thought about several people he has met through his work. Names and faces flashed through his mind like a deck of cards quickly being shuffled.

"I'm drawing a blank on names. I hear there is a shop in Savanna, but I am not sure about the location. Maybe ask around a bit? Or wander a little. You might run into the shop."

"Thank you. I'll do that." Jack quickly hung up, not wanting to let the conversation continue. He hurried to the train station and boarded the Savanna express.


	6. The Colors of Payment

"Get your news here! Fennec Fox goes free!" A weasel barked on the street corner just outside of Savanna station. Jack curiously approached him. The nocturnal mammals of Savanna District were just starting to become quite noisy. Streets were filling up with many species of night-walkers as the diurnal mammals turned in for the night.

"Sir," the weasel waved at Jack and offered a copy of the newspaper. "The latest reports say that a fennec fox named Finnick made a suspicious deal with known arms pushers and walked free!" Jack gave the weasel a friendly nod and paid for the paper. On the cover was a short fennec fox shown walking out of the courtroom. Two officers; a bear and a lion were caught in the photo with confused expressions on their faces. The headline read, "What The Fox?"

Jack thanked the weasel and walked with the paper in paws. He had only heard in passing the details of the case when it started just over a month ago. This was the first time Jack took a moment to focus on the verdict. His ears twitched, and he wrinkled his nose when he learned that Finnick owned a fabric shop in Savanna that sold various materials in the raw. His concentration was broken when he clumsily bumped into a gawky tall female deer.

"Ah!" She turned startled.

"Sorry, excuse me." White spots sparsely decorated her creamy brown fur. She wore thick black rimmed glasses and had a small peculiar fox tail piercing dangling from her ear.

"Oh! Hi!" She waved at Jack, who winced from her loud voice. He lowered his arms while clutching the paper with trembling paws, still holding it open to the page. "Getting lost in a good news story?" she giggled.

"Yes?" Jack raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"You look so familiar. I can't help but ask, are you that popular M.I.C official, Mr. Savage?" She stared with her mouth agape. Her teeth looked too large for her mouth. "I'm such a nerd for politics!" Jack nodded and softly sighed, "Yes, you caught me. But I'm not a politician. I just deal with them all the time."

"Oh my goodness! You are tall for a bunny." She folded her hands in her lap excitedly. Jack squirmed as she stared at him, looking up and down, admiring his outfit.

"I'm actually a hare." He restlessly tapped the floor with his left foot. She eyed the paper in his paws and said,

"It's too bad the shop closed." Jack blinked and asked, "It closed?" He concealed his disappointment with the news. But it was beginning to sound to Jack like this deer could be informative.

"Yes. Not forever though. It's only for a few days. Did you need something from there? I love going there. Great stock if you're into parties. Your sharp suit says you are!" Jack cleared his throat, "Thank you, Ms..."

"Oh, I'm Amanda," she waved bashfully. "Anyway, if you really want something maybe you can try contacting one of Finnick's friends? I know someone you could talk to about Finnick like, right now!" Jack smiled. What luck! He tucked the newspaper under his left arm and said, "Alright. If you lead me to someone useful, I'll treat you to something nice. How about it?" The deer cheered saying,

"That would be lovely!" Jack nodded like a gentlebuck and pointed past them with his right paw turned upward.

"Lead the way, Amanda." Jack walked off balance with hurried steps as he was tugged along by Amanda. She eagerly led him down a busy street in South Savanna.

"Yes, he hasn't closed his stall yet." The deer turned to jack and pointed to a large mobile food truck.

"Amanda!" Nick greeted her with a smile.

"Nick, sweety! This handsome hare needs some help with something. Maybe you two could get to know each other? I'd stay, but I really need to head home and take care of my baby bro! See ya, honey." She waved goodbye to Nick and Jack then turned to walk away.

"Oh, wait." Jack stopped her. He reached into his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. "For your troubles." Amanda stared wide-eyed,

"Wow, thank you, darling!" She hugged him, to his displeasure, then pocketed the monetary gift and walked away humming to herself. Jack chuckled and shook his head.

"Quite the cheery character isn't she?" Nick said.

"Oh. Yes, she is."

"So, stripes, what can I do for you? And how about some food before I close up?" Nick smiled wearily. Jack raised a brow and tilted his head slightly to one side,

"Stripes? Cute." He rolled his eyes. "Do you happen to know where I could find Finnick? The one that owns Finnick's Fabrics?" Jack reached into his pocket once more. Nick suddenly stood still. His shoulders hunched up.

"A female bunny cop, of all things, came here yesterday asking about a fennec fox. And like I told her, I don't know anything about what happened to him."

"I just need a favor. And I'm willing to pay." Nick leaned forward in his truck. His curiosity appearing to swell.

"Go on..."

"I wanted to make a private request. Off the books. I am only looking for certain materials for some special clothing. I need rubber and latex. Can you pass this message along?" Nick looked at Jack suspiciously,

"Who is asking? The last people Finnick dealt with led to him being cuffed and tossed into a courtroom." Jack furrowed his brows and stared hard at Nick,

"You can call me a powerful friend or just an eccentric customer. Regardless, I'm not dirty. But this needs to be private." In an extra effort to disarm Nick's suspicions, he said, "I'm just really shy and uncomfortable about my interest in theatrical performance. I'm a performer and don't want to be seen carrying my costumes around. And I don't want the public knowing my secret interests," he winked at the fox. Jack pulled three one-hundred dollar bills from his pocket. Money that he planned to donate at the Sahara Sand Hall. He slipped the bills onto Nick's counter. "Please?"

Nick looked at the money hungrily. He quickly stuffed it into his pockets and said,

"Well, off the books is what I do. I'll call Finnick tomorrow morning. See me when I open up at one in the afternoon. Tomorrow. Your secret is safe with me."

"Good boy." Jack nodded and calmly began walking away.

"You know, I'm only doing this for the money," said Nick.

"It makes no difference to me so long as we work something out."

"See you."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Nick. Thank you. Just keep your word."

"I always do." Jack's cell phone vibrated violently in his pocket. Selene was sending him an emergency text:

"Jack! Judge Hilo was just attacked and he lost his home in a fire!"


	7. Many Deals

Chief Bogo's copper tinted smartphone broke into blaring chirps in his palm, interrupting a text message he attempted to send. He grunted and put the phone to his ear, "Yes?"

"Chief Bogo. This is Jack Savage. I heard about the attack." The Chief suddenly stood up straight. In a strong voice, he said,

"Yes, I was about to begin my interview until you called, sir."

"Judge Hilo is a good one. Whatever the cost for protecting him, I will cover it. Just keep him safe and fill me in on the details later. Goodnight, Chief."

"Yes, Agent Savage." The Chief's response would go unheard as Jack had swiftly cut the call on his end. Chief Bogo hung up the phone and shook his head. Why would Jack be interested in this? He surely must have bigger jobs to be concerned with. Whatever the matter, the chief always appreciated Jack's help. The generosity of Jack seemed illimitable. After resuming and finally submitting his interrupted text message, he entered the interview room to speak with the victim.

"Alright," Chief Bogo sighed and inhaled deep, forcing air to his brain. "Let's start from the beginning." The judge slowly leaned forward in his seat and rested his arms on the gray table in front of him. He winced at his wounds then pressed his lips together, teasing out the tingling sensation of pain from his swollen bottom lip. Kneading his clasped paws, he recalled the events that had transpired just three hours ago,

"I entered my apartment and was ambushed by three masked figures. I could not make out any details on them. They were covered up well; tails, ears, everything." The Chief wiped his wide snout with a palm to relieve an itch and nodded. His short curved horns pointed toward the judge off center like an awkwardly placed radio microphone.

"You mentioned when coming in that you believe these goons were sent by Big?"

"That was what I was told by one of the attackers. He was short. They all were, in fact. They all looked equal in height. I think the three of them were of the same species." Bogo picked up the tiny notepad that rested patiently on the desk next to the judge's arms and hurriedly scribbled down the description. "It was a scare tactic. Big is trying to scare me away because I refuse his influence," concluded Hilo. He wiped his wet nose with the back of a paw.

"Off the record, it's why you're so important to me. You are incorruptible. You don't squirm in the presence of scum bags. You're my best judge." The judge smiled appreciatively. Before putting his notepad and pen away, Chief Bogo asked, "Is there anything else that you can think of?"

"At the moment, no."

"You really should get checked out for your injuries."

"Bah! I'm old but I'm not made of glass. Those small fries can't hit for beans. And I don't want to scare my daughter with having her come get me from a hospital." Bogo's ears twitched, bemused.

"Since you've become a target, we will not be taking any chances. For the next six weeks, I will arrange for a security escort. A good friend of ours would expect nothing less than your safety. And I agree with him." Judge Hilo's ears fell back then went up again. He turned his gaze away from Chief Bogo and said,

"Fine."

* * *

Clouds blanketed the morning sky over Savanna Central. They hungrily stole the sun's light and glowed from the feast. Nick calmly stood up from his lawn chair and stretched his muscles. The artificial city stream in front of him endlessly looped the cold ambient sounds of water rushing past rock. The small arched bridge above was a private comfort. It served as a secondary shelter he had grown attached to over the years. He had even added some furnishings to make the place cozier. He placed a small ottoman and a desk with a wireless mobile lamp just in the shade of the bridge. Despite having a fair amount of wealth - obtained through questionable activities - he preferred to keep a low profile and lived in a rather small beat-up apartment. The less attention, the better, he thought. The closest he came to achieving a respectable place of his own was derailed years ago when he was thrown in jail. Nick's only lifeline of sanity through those trying times had been the hard-headed Finnick. And now Nick made his way through the streets to find his friend, in an effort to keep the promise he made to Jack just last night.

From what he remembered of his conversation with Finnick, they agreed to meet at Jumbeaux's café. Shops were still opening as Nick walked up the streets. A pair of elk put a little extra distance between themselves and Nick. He only smiled at them and said, "Good morning."  _There's that good old fox treatment I expect_. He grew hardened to the wary looks, the fearful stares. At least he tried to convince himself of this. "Never let them see that they get to you," he mumbled. A pair of joggers across the street entered a nearby park. A row of piglets trailed behind them. Just another block later, Nick approached the front of Jumbeaux's. Inside he saw Finnick waiting in line behind a giraffe. As he opened the door, Finnick approached the counter. He made an effort to control his tail to keep it from wagging happily. Seeing Finnick always put him in a better mood. Grinning, he quietly walked up behind Finnick.

"A strawberry sundae," said Finnick.

"Make that two," said Nick as he placed an elbow on the fennec's blonde head.

"Oh, hey bro didn't see you down there." Finnick shook his head and hid a smile.

"So what's going down, pal? What's up with this rabbit?" asked Finnick, skipping past greeting Nick yet not resisting the elbow that still rested on his head.

"No idea," said Nick, finally supporting himself with his legs and releasing Finnick of his duty as an armrest. Finnick turned to acknowledge the clerk behind the counter as he reached out to get their order. "Just some weirdo. But he pays well."

"Everybody's a weirdo these days," said Finnick, rolling his eyes. His large ears swayed gently as he walked. He picked a corner bench near the entrance to the shop, prompting Nick to follow. The white light of sun-soaked clouds was blocked sporadically by blinders. Nick eagerly dug into his sundae. The morning had cursed him with a sweet tooth that demanded satisfaction. Finnick dug his spoon into the bowl of ice cream. Nick paused for a moment and looked at him. He took a breath and said,

"Listen, Finnick. I'll confess, I don't like what's been going on." Finnick didn't outwardly acknowledge his concern. He just gulped down a spoonful of a melting sundae. The shop's fridge had been poorly tuned and customers were being served half frozen bowls of ice cream. He knew Finnick was listening. "We haven't had this much attention drawn to ourselves since that stupid raccoon attacked you and got me arrested."

"Oh yeah, that judge was a real jackass. You get nearly a year in jail for protecting me from those raccoons. Claiming you 'started it'. What a load..."

Nick waved his paws frantically, "I'm not going down that road, it's over with."

"I've never seen you raise a paw to anyone in spite or anger, ever. You big wuss!" Finnick chided fondly.

"Between cops bugging me and weirdo's asking for favors, and everyone wanting your side of things, it's getting a little noisy on the streets," said Nick.

"So what?" shouted Finnick. "We'll deal with it like we always do. With your brains and my backbone, who is going to put a leash on us?" Finnick asked, rhetorically.

Rhetorical or not, there were two forces that could derail their already unlucky lives; The ZPD, should the foxes end up in something deeper and dirtier than they would ever wittingly get into, and Big. A power-hungry old shrew no longer satisfied with merely pulling the strings in the Tundra. Nick's brows furrowed,

"I wouldn't get too close to Big if I were you."

Finnick wiped his muzzle with a napkin, leaving a multi-colored stain on its face from the ice cream, "Aww come on, Nick. He's not so bad. A little creepy, sure. But he did help me out. He's helped you out a little too."

Nick couldn't deny that. But knowing the reputation of Big as a ruthless trader and crime boss made Nick's skin crawl. When Nick partnered with Finnick in his shop, he had sold rugs and some home furnishings to Big. When Nick decided to operate his own food stall and break away from Finnick's Fabrics, it was Big that helped supply him with enough product to be a competitive street vendor. But the stock he often used came with heavy stipulations from Big. The ill-gotten product was to be sold and Nick couldn't question where it came from or how it was acquired. Nick preferred to keep his distance and only deal with Big just enough to keep him satisfied and out of his hair. He wanted no part of Big's so-called "family" and slowly worked on bringing in his own product from legit sources. Although, he did continue to rely on Big for the fish.

"Just think before you accept anything from Big, is all I can ask of you," Nick said in a worried voice.

Finnick avoided pushing the discussion. it was always annoying when Nick got all panicky and mushy. Finnick forced a change in subject, "So what is it that the rabbit wants?"

Nick put down the near-empty bowl from which he slurped up his melted sundae to say, "He wants you to sell him rubber and latex materials. For costumes, apparently. But he wants the raw materials. Nothing pre-made. And he requests that you do not record this transaction in any way in your log books."

Finnick raised an eyebrow, "That is weird. What could be so secret about it? Is he playing superhero or something?" Finnick bubbled with hearty laughter.

Nick grinned and shook his head, blinking a comical image in his eyes of Jack in some strange costume.

"Whatever it's for is none of our business." He pushed his empty ash-blue ceramic bowl to the side, "We are being paid, so all is well." Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out the $300 given to him by Jack, "You're the one with the shop and the materials so" - Nick split the money and handed Finnick two of the three $100 bills - "you should take two hundred."

"My pal!" Finnick graciously snatched the money. "Tell the rabbit to meet me tomorrow morning, a day before I open up shop. We'll meet in my shop in private to talk about his goods."

Finnick felt his phone vibrate on his left hip. He reached into his pocket and curiously checked his phone.

"Oh, look at that!"

"What?" Nick asked.

"Big wants me to help him unload a shipment of rare chocolate imports coming in from the Rainforest District."

Nick closed his eyes and tilted his head upward. He slowly ran a paw over his ears and said, "What does he want from our lives now?"

"Well," Finnick began, "he wants you to help him sell these chocolates. And he expects 40% of the profits from the sales."

Nick crossed his arms and simmered in silence. Finnick put his phone away and folded his hands on the table, also brooding to himself. They briefly played a silent mental game of, "What should we do?"

A loud customer complaining about her order broke them from their thoughts.

Finnick looked at Nick and said, "Nick, I'm going to accept."

"I figured you would," Nick rolled his eyes. "That means I have to as well. Through good and bad decisions, we do it all together, right?"

"Ya damn right, buddy," Finnick cheerily replied. Nick nervously smiled at Finnick, the stubborn fool.


	8. Getting Around

Judy adjusted her pale-blue meter maid hat as she slowly drove to her patrol zone. She fought with the hat and the stinging sensation of an itch on her head as she strolled through the streets. With an obsessive attention to detail, she used her ears and eyes to check out the parking meters in the area. But constantly craning her neck out of the car just to scope out parking meters was becoming a nuisance.

"It's too tight around here." She turned her attention away from the parking meters momentarily while she hunted for a parking spot. She looked up ahead and only saw a winding one-way street. The curvature of the landscape along this neighborhood caused her view to be blocked by buildings in front of her. She had no choice but to ride all the way through the one-way street if she was going to get back to wider grounds.

"There!" After navigating through a few tight corners, she finally found open space and vacant places to park. Once the burdensome car was put to rest on the side of a wide street – sandwiched between a large market and a school, she happily stepped out of the confined metal box and walked east. The first two parking meters she came across were in the clear. She made a mental note and continued past.

While hunting parking meters, Judy turned her thoughts to the gossip going around the ZPD. Certain SWAT officers were selected to be guard detail for Judge Hilo should the primary security team fail to show up. Fangmeyer and McHorn volunteered to take any extra shifts as guards for the judge. It was an interesting decision on their part.

Judy pictured Fangmeyer as a guard and thought the job would fit her well. She was an agile and strong wolf. Her athletic talents and grace put her at the front of the pack in most physical fitness tests.

"A brave and reliable officer, that one." Then she thought about McHorn and his solid build. The rhinoceros was undoubtedly the go-to officer for muscle. Despite his sleepy personality, he always looked so intimidating. Together, Judy was convinced they were an excellent pair.

She remembered reading about the Mayor's fundraising event in Sahara Square which took place just last week. One of the ambassadors for the ZPD and the Mayor gave a short speech and in an unexpected temper flare, cut his talk short and left the event prematurely. Judy saw a picture of Jack Savage caught with an agitated expression on his face as he sneered at the audience. Questions swirled around the unusual behavior of Jack at the event. But to Judy, the written piece was nothing more than gossip and speculation not worthy of anybody's time.

Judy halted her steps and stared at the next block in front of her. Milo avenue. She had reached the eastern boundary of her patrolling zone. So far, only one of the thirteen meters she passed had expired. But after only just snapping out of her thoughts, she wondered if there were any meters that went overlooked. She did an about-face only to be drawn to a shop on her left. Finnick's Fabrics. A dark green awning with curly stylized gold letters hung over the shop entrance, casting its door in a protective shadow. With her memories of Nick and the trial of Finnick returning to her mind, she curiously hurried over to the front of the shop. She stopped just an inch away from her transparent reflection; a ghostly image standing in an ocean of black glass. She blinked and suddenly stood straight.

"Is someone inside?" Hopeful, Judy jiggled the handle of the door. "Aww..." Locked. She forcefully knocked twice and pressed her face to the glass. "ZPD! Officer Judy Hopps. Hello?" Her pink nose smooshed up as she attempted to peer into the mysterious interior of the shop. She tapped her foot impatiently. When there was no response, Judy huffed with frustration and turned to return to her patrol route. But as she walked away, a click from behind caught her ears. She swiftly spun around back to the shop and noticed a striped rabbit carrying a large suitcase quickly leaving. They locked eyes for a moment. Ears stood at attention, Judy was full of excitement and she hurriedly approached the tall rabbit.

"Excuse me! Officer Judy Hopps, please hold the door, Sir." Jack stared at the officer rapidly approaching. Judy watched as he deflated with a sigh and his shoulders dropped to a relaxed position.

"Officer Hopps, a pleasure to see the ZPD in action. What can I do for you?" Jack asked. She stepped up to Jack, her nose twitched curiously as she stared. "Wait," she cautiously asked, "you're Special Agent Savage?" He nodded and looked at Judy with a stern expression, straightening his posture.

"What brings you here?" Judy asked, her curiosity peaked. She smiled warmly at him.

"I'm afraid that is a private matter, Officer," he replied with authority. "If you'll excuse me..." Judy automatically held the door open as Jack let go in an effort to walk away. But the encounter was too strange for her to simply submit to the request. With a sense of urgency, she called out,

"Sir, wait!"

"Yes?" Jack replied with a hint of impatience. She paused for a moment as questions she did not yet know began to form in the back of her mind. In order to keep the conversation going, she returned to the main reason for being at the shop and asked, "Is Finnick inside?"

"Is Finnick a suspect for something?" asked Jack. The question surprised her.

"No, Sir. Not anymore, but his dealings in the past could mean some serious events might be in the works. I'm just trying to find answers to prevent something dangerous from happening."

"Then, yes he is indeed." Jack nodded. He switched the heavy briefcase to his left hand and rested his right arm by placing its hand in his pocket.

"Thank you! Do you know anything about the arms dealers he sold to? Did you two speak?" Judy dared ask. She looked at him with star-struck eyes. His reputation certainly not lost on her. He was the talk of Bunnyburrow for some months before Judy applied to the ZPD. And she was enjoying the intense expression of the handsome face gazing back at her. Jack looked around thoughtfully then said,

"I'm glad you are on our side, Officer Hopps. I read about the case, but I never paid attention to it in detail." Although he seemed to finally relax with Judy, she didn't want to hold him for long and began to grow anxious herself. She glanced the shop, then back at Jack. Judy wasn't so far involved in her conversation with the handsome rabbit that she couldn't notice any noises coming from inside the shop. She needed to act fast.

"So, where do you think the stolen jackets went? Who bought them?" asked Judy.

"Oh, those buyers, I suspect one of them belongs to Big, if not all of them," Jack said. He gave a hardened look past Judy. "He is the source of the rot in Zootopia." The name was unfamiliar. She dared to expose her naivety by asking,

"Who is Big?"

"A violent law-breaking shrew that lives in Tundratown. He has his hands in many illegal dealings here in Zootopia. There are a few experienced officers that are working tirelessly to bring him down." Jack clenched the fist holding his suitcase, "The city will be better for his permanent absence."

"Oh, I see." In the ensuing silence that followed Jack's straight to the point response, Judy graciously thanked him for the information. When she turned to walk into the shop, her ears perked when he began speaking again.

"Judy, you have good form and a strong voice. You approached with authority and a commanding tone. Keep it up. You'll need it if you expect people to take you seriously. I should know, being a rabbit. Maybe we'll meet again." Judy turned and smiled. But the gratitude was short lived as she let the weight of his words sink in. She responded with a solemnly said,

"Sir." Then she entered the shop.

Wooden benches were pushed to the far back of the room. Several materials were on display hanging on poles. Spools of silk, satin, fake wool and nylon were lined up in price order on the poles. Several other threads and materials were organized on a tall white gridded shelf made of evenly shaped cubes. Motes of dust from the many fabrics hung in the air. Judy sneezed as she slowly walked around, glancing from one corner of the shop to the other.

In the back were two doors. One was labeled, "Staff only" and the other, "Restroom." Judy turned to the shop entrance and shut the door. With the light of the sun rejected, the interior lights of the dark shop returned to rule once more. Judy leaned against the door.

"I know you're here Finnick. And I don't scare easily. Heck, I don't really scare at all." She crossed her arms and waited in the silence. She heard the faint shuffling of movement from behind the counter to the far right, near the cash register.

"You're not in trouble. Not with me, at least. Not yet. A conversation only works when two people participate," she huffed, keeping in mind what Jack said about using a commanding tone.

"Hell, I shouldn't have trusted that bunny," said a gruff voice that bounced from the back of the room. Finnick pushed the half door from under his counter and bent his head to walk through. He stood adjusting his baggy green cargo pants and straightened his black shirt embellished with two F characters for Finnick's Fabrics printed on its chest. He scowled in the general direction of Judy and fidgeted on his feet. She smiled and gently approached Finnick,

"I just want to know about the elks you sold to."

"Wait, are you that bunny that spoke to Nick?"

Judy nodded, "Mm-hmm..."

"You rabbits sure do get around. You and that Jack." Finnick rubbed his eyes. "There ain't much to tell," he growled. "I just sold some products to customers. That's all." Judy scoffed at Finnick,

"Oh come on. By now, all of Zootopia knows that isn't the whole story. What is it that you cannot say? What are you afraid of?" Finnick stood firm. His stone-faced expression hardened further than even he thought possible,

"I'm not yapping. Get out of my face. And out of my shop. I just want to do my business and be left alone. Got it!?" She thought through several questions she wanted to ask. Instead of pausing between them, she tried a cheap detective tactic and quickly said, "Did you know anything about those elks? Their names? How long have you known them? Why were you speaking to Special Agent Savage in a closed shop?"

"They were just customers, that's it. Jack too. He just bought stuff. That's all." Making a mental note of Jack purchasing products from Finnick, which she found odd, Judy continued to push. Remembering the name Jack said to her, she decided to experiment with it, just to see if it meant anything.

"Do you know a Mr. Big?" Finnick's body language betrayed his secrecy. Seeing Finnick flinch at the mention of Big was all the confirmation she needed from him.

"Get out," demanded Finnick.

"What does he have on you? Did he threaten you?"

"Please! Just go," pleaded the suddenly shaken Finnick. Finnick frantically walked towards Judy and gently shoved her. She eased off, walking backward, recording every detail of his behavior to memory; his panic, a whimper, the yelling. Judy pulled out her orange pen and ticket book then tore off one sheet. She looked behind her to ensure no one was near the entrance, not that anyone would see through the dark glass anyway.

"Take this. Tell no one," she said and offered him the paper with a hastily written number and note that read, "When you are ready."

Finnick looked at the bunny's outstretched arm, offering to him what amounted to a desperate choice. Judy saw the look of longing in his eyes. With a trembling arm, he snatched the paper ashamed, ears tilted back, gaze turned down. Judy smiled and said gently, "Never know when to quit."


	9. Conspiracy

Judge Hilo sat up on the slim purple couch in his daughter's home in Tundratown South. His eyes were assaulted by modest but colorful furnishings. Dark brown chairs invaded spaces between other furnishings with mid-tone greens, purples and sometimes orange. He sipped on a brown soup made from crushed beetles and boiled tree bark. Hilo took his time, sighing contently with the mild salty spices as they clung to his taste buds. A small stack of papers and folders were set next to his meal. He sat alone and prepared for the trial of a hacker allegedly trying to break into the ZPD database containing the personal information of registered officers. If convicted, the hacker, a pig, could face at minimum fifteen years jail time.

Outside as promised, he could see a small patrol car stationed in front of the home with two strong large officers keeping watch. The main guard detail had not arrived yet. The driver of the vehicle, a hefty rhinoceros, Officer Mchorn, made his big female wolf partner, Officer Fangmeyer, look small in comparison.

The arrangement was certainly not to his liking, but Hilo had no other options. The attack was still fresh in his mind. Thinking about it only rekindled his anger. He trusted Bogo but knew that the Chief couldn't do everything. But neither could he. He was only one judge. He looked out the window once more with a pen in hand and muttered,

"Thank's for looking out for me."

* * *

McHorn yawned dramatically, stretching back his permanently droopy eyes as he squinted. Fangmeyer stared with amusement at the mountain of bulk in the driver's seat and said,

"Aren't you cramped up in here? This car is not friendly to your size at all." His ears flicked about as he slowly turned to face her. His neutral frowny expression slowly stretched into a soft smile,

"I haven't thought about it. But now that you put my attention to this cramped space I'm going to stand up and stretch out." The car rocked and squeaked as the heavy load shifted to open the door. McHorn stepped out one tree trunk of a leg at a time and gratefully stretched. His tight ZPD uniform saved from tearing only due to its slight elasticity. McHorn stared at the sunny Tundratown village. The small houses were coated with thin sheets of reflective ice from fallen snow that had momentarily dissolved to rain before freezing solid. But this was the warmer part of Tundratown.

"Do you think there will be an attack out here?" Fangmeyer asked, still sitting in her seat. She slowly scanned the streets around her. Her ears twisted and perked like radars.

"Uh," McHorn nodded contemplatively at the ground, feeling the bite of the motionless chill air. "I don't know." His breath crystallized as he spoke. "We still don't know the true source of these attacks. Though the judge said that the attackers might have been sent by Big, that doesn't make it true."

"Ever the careful detective eh, McHorn?" McHorn turned and squatted to look at his partner, "I wouldn't be good at my job if I wasn't careful with my words or my hunches, you lazy wolf."

"I deserve that one," Fangmeyer droned. She then countered with, "But anyone who would go to such an extreme as to attack someone and burn their home but not kill them, and instead throw out a name...That's not something someone just does. It has to have been planned. I bet that it really was Big." McHorn snorted a breath and let the suspicion penetrate his thick skin. The chill on his horn crawled up the center of his head. Fangmeyer did have a point. But how would the ZPD catch him?

"In that case, we better make a move soon," he said. "Someone has to push back hard."

"But he keeps eluding us somehow..."

"Big certainly has friends in high places." When the bite of the chilly environment wore down McHorn's tolerance, he retreated back into the vehicle for warmth. The radio in their car blipped and hissed news from several officers patrolling Zootopia.

The main guards arrived in what McHorn considered a much more spacious black van. Fangmeyer reached for the noisy radio to contact headquarters to dismiss herself and Mchorn from the sit-in. The day was still early. McHorn and Fangmeyer would part ways and return to their original posts. He didn't worry. Judge Hilo was safe.

* * *

Manchas proudly walked into Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether's file room. He adjusted his tan dress pants and smooted his white under-shirt. The tan sleeveless vest he wore was a bit snug. He always struggled with getting the measurements of his shirts and jackets proper to his height. He stood with a straight and dignified posture one might find from a waiter or a butler. Chest out, shoulders proud and eyes forward. In front of him sat a small bloated wooden desk filled with folders and a laptop in the center from which Bellwether, a short female sheep with glasses, quickly worked. The blue light from the screen cloaked the eyes behind her thick black-rimmed glasses. Finally, Bellwether looked up at him and cheerily said,

"Manchas, good to see you punctual as always." Her soft and scratchy voice was oddly pleasant and friendly to his ears. "How have things been progressing, handsome?"

"Thank you for seeing me, Ms. Bellwether. Big has made progress injecting his influence into the ZPD. More officers have turned to him for assistance and support. Thanks to your counterfeit work, Big has managed to shield his fences from conviction and as we speak, is expected to receive a shipment of goods coming in to the Rainforest District. Your support is greatly appreciated."

"Oh!" Bellwether clapped her hands overjoyed by the news. Her curly wool bounced as she swayed in her seat. "Wonderful. Yes, it was hard work but our gullible Mayor is making it easy to keep suspicions to a minimum. We had to allow some small victories for the ZPD and its little group of do-gooders. The funding fronted by Lionheart and Jack Savage being nothing more than a false sense of security. Their time will come. Those two, along with the equally ignorant Chief Bogo won't last." So far, Bellwether thought the pair-up has been paying off. Manchas certainly agreed. The "equality for all" promised by Big's market scheme was all too enticing to pass up. Equality through the rule of one. A center point. Yes, that was the goal. And Manchas was eager to be a part of the revolution.

"And how go your projects, Ms.?" Manchas asked, keeping his posture formal and professional. Bellwether jumped out of her seat and walked around her table. She stood just up to the chest of Manchas, not including the poof of wool on her head, which added another three inches. She had a bit of a tummy behind that curly wool which only served to exaggerate the contrast between her torso and her skinny arms. It was an amusing sight to the panther. She stared at his muscled arms, prompting him to look at himself, wondering what she found so interesting. His black fur had a dull sheen in the faint light. He eyed the sheep as she approached him. A faint smile came across his face, revealing those dangerous fangs from behind his whiskered cheeks. She grabbed a paw and stroked his arm, admiring the danger as she eyed his sharp nails, made for tearing flesh.

"My experiments have been...educational." She winked at the panther. "I am so intrigued by all that power you predators possess. Such ferocity. I would love to wield it. And soon. But it would be best to time my actions with Big. The bigger the strike, the more assured our victory. And that will come if we work together in sync."

"So it shall be, Ms. Bellwether," He smiled confidently, if not obediently.


	10. Forest Trade

At the northern edge of the Rainforest District, three weasels and two polar bears stood side-by-side on the docks and stared up the hill into the forest. To their left in front of them stood the dock stationhouse. It was a long square cabin and had several small offices that filled out the first and second floor. The third floor was one large room that stretched the length of the stationhouse. Boating materials and some electronics were stored here. Big was inside reviewing the forged paperwork he acquired.

Activity at the docks was at their peak hour this afternoon. But Thursday was the low point of the week. Good. Less traffic to dissturb Big and his deal. Still, dozens of workers scurried back and forth through and out of the docks as they fulfilled their duties for the District, and Zootopia as a whole.

The musical notes of endless shifting water blended with the noises produced by busy workers and the ships. The humid air smelled salty. Bugs chirped, clicked and buzzed in the distance.

Big was waiting for Finnick and Nick to show up for the agreed upon trade. It was still early and nobody was in a rush. It was just the usual business. His phone rang. The weasel at the front of the docks was calling,

"Father Big, they are here."

"Alright." Big rushed out of the stationhouse and cheerily welcomed Finnick and Nick. He smiled seeing Nick wear a new dark green three-piece suit with an orange tie and even an orange fedora. How respectful of him to show up dressed for the occasion. He couldn't say the same for Finnick however. The shabby looking fox might as well have been picked up out of an alley. He was a mess of a sight.

"My foxes! Good to see you made it. Let's get right to it, huh?" Big gestured with an outstretched arm toward the cargo yard on the left end of the docks. New egg-white ships of various sizes sat parked along the shore of the large S-shaped yard. Many colored cargo containers were being offloaded from some of the ships. This was the northern main export/import station of Zootopia. The second station was placed in Sahara Square on the southeastern edge of the desert where the border wall was cut out for a gate as well. It was almost a mirror construction of the one here in the Rainforest District. If Big could tighten his leash on these docks, he planned to hit the one in the Sahara. Securing the docks would cement his grip on Zootopia. He grew giddy with excitement at the thought.

Two of the three weasels present stood behind Big. He insisted the foxes walk ahead of him and pulled them to the front. Next to the weasels stood the smaller of the two polar bear guards while the remaining weasel and bear remained behind by the entrance of the docks. He directed the group toward an open container in the yard and texted the weasel and bear still at the front of the docks, instructing him to bring wagons.

It was quite clear to Big how they stood out. Any worker could tell that Big and his crew were out of place. Their odd wanderings like they didn't know where to turn or what to do was plain to see. He was slightly concerned that they were conspicuous enough to draw passing glances towards them. But the trade shouldn't last long. And once it was over, he would turn to harsher methods to keep prying eyes turned away.

"Alright Nicky," Big began, a large blonde rectangular crate sat just pulled away from the dozens of others that still sat in the now open container. Its open door created a white ramp leading to the interior. The crates inside were all labeled according to their contents. The blonde rectangular crate was stamped with a "Perishable" warning.

"Here is how it goes: you sell this crate of chocolates" - Big pointed behind him to the crate, "and remember to provide me with forty percent of the profits from your total sales. There is enough chocolate in here to last you at least five weeks. Expect me to check in at the end of every week or two. Sometimes I will show up personally. Other times, I will send a representative to collect." Nick nodded.

"How much does one bar usually go for?" Big glanced at the weasel he messaged. He finally pulled up to Big and the group with the lift cart and stood idly by the bear near the opening of the container. Big smiled and said,

"One bar of chocolate, about the length of your muzzle and just under an inch thick," - he mimed holding a chocolate bar between his skinny fingers - "goes for $30." Nick bit his lip.

"How am I going to convince customers to spend $30 on a chocolate bar?" Big scowled. His breathing deepened and he briskly took two steps toward the fox and looked up. His upward tilted head pointed it's nose directly at Nick's and he growled,

"Use your damn head and get it done. That's how." Big shrugged with upturned palms and turned back to where he stood. "You and Finnick are my best fences. You'll figure it out." And they better. The acquisition of this cargo was months in the making. And Big needed to make up the money he lost. Bellwether was an expensive ally.

After staring into the container as if he expected a hidden treasure to reveal itself, Big turned his head to look at Nick, "Besides, you are only selling half the stock. Finnick will sell the other half in his shop. He could place them on the counter right where customers check out. Get them to impulse buy the chocolates." Big smiled and pointed a friendly finger at Finnick. The short fennec fox nodded respectfully and only blinked. A gentle breeze batted at his large ears. Nick crossed his arms and lowered his head. He slowly stepped back and said with forced cheer,

"That's a wonderful idea, Mr. Big." Satisfied, Big focused his attention on Finnick.

"Finnick," the fennec foxes ears stood tickled by the sound of his name, "you will add some new materials to your shop. Some nice jewelry and rugs. Expensive stuff. It should fetch you some good coin." Finnick nodded in understanding. He glanced towards the weasel as he walked toward the crates inside the open cargo container. "The same rules apply. I expect forty percent of your profit from these goods." Finnick grumbled,

"Yeah," and made to help the weasel load the crates onto the cart behind him. Nick followed after and grabbed the rectangular crate nearest Big. The trade concluded and the foxes were escorted out of the forest. Big remained behind to monitor and secure the remaining product and guard it against suspicious workers. But so far, all seemed well.


	11. The Mammal Intelligence Center

The polished black and gray speckled tile floor responded gleefully to the busy steps of officers and officials at the Mammal Intelligence Center. It was a tall horseshoe-shaped building that sat on an island east of Zootopia. Right inside the lobby, a large wide touchscreen information booth sat on one wall nestled between two potted plants that stood like jolly game-show assistants presenting a prize. Jack, sporting a matching olive brown suit, passed a mouse working the screen.

He walked down the crooked hall to his right and headed for the elevators. To his right, as he walked up the hall, large windows provided a pleasant view of the exterior; a white-hot sandy beach glowed with the rays of an overzealous morning sun. Skinny trees stretched on the beach, sporting wild hairstyles.

The general mood at headquarters was one of a calm indifference. But every now and then, Jack would pass a mammal with a harried appearance, to which he would mutter sympathetically,

"You and me both," under his breath. Jack needed to review numbers with his accountant, check in with his inventory team, manage a small number of subordinates while meeting with the lower tier leaders in Zootopian Investigative Affairs, or Z.I.A for short. Then he had to report back to his superiors, not the least of which included the Mayor of Zootopia.

He would be lucky to finish these tasks and exit any meetings without picking up a heavier workload than when he went in. And after all this, he still needed to meet with Frank and a few other close friends to help configure his disguise. But keeping himself in good standing at work was his number one priority.

Despite the discontent with his recent behavior, Jack managed to keep his superiors placated enough to avoid any serious scolding. He continued to perform just above average, as was the norm for him. And he grumbled at how the slightest misstep in public could be cause for so much grief from his co-workers.

"I'm supposed to be a robot 24/7," he whined. "Heavens help me if I show emotion."

He chewed through the workload for the day with minor concern over how long it would take him. His thoughts about the past two weeks all faded into the shadow of his subconscious. The only thoughts buzzing in his head was of what needed to be done now. This was a skill Jack was personally proud of. He could shift and settle his focus on the fly. Like a missile to its target.

By the time Jack made it to his meeting with the Mayor and other officials, it was late afternoon. His late lunch still sat heavily in his stomach, and he could taste the bitterness of his salad. A cheetah and Giraffe sat to the right of Jack by a glossy reddish-brown rectangular table. The room was dimly lit. A projector was set up and lit the wall it faced a saturated blue.

A robust brown hog wearing a black suit and red tie sat on the opposite long side of the table, along with three equally dressed sheep and an elk who settled for a white suit. The hog muttered instructions to the sheep closest to him and then began to address everyone in the room. The sheep began scribbling in his notebook.

"First, the Mayor wishes to extend an apology for being a no-show. Some family business came up and he had entrusted the task of briefing you all to me." The hog rested his arms on the table but maintained a straight posture in his chair. He slightly turned his head to the lit wall and as if on cue, the elk clicked on a video that played on the projector.

"Jack, one of your old missions needs a touch-up. This is not by fault of yours. It is because of local governing incompetence." On the screen was footage of a struggling military camp in an urban ghetto. Giraffes in familiar combat gear walked about bored and disheartened. "Given the knowledge you have, you are needed to help restore balance to the unfortunately tenuous peace treaty we had put in place."

Jack clenched his fists in frustration. His nose twitched involuntarily in a disapproving manner. He hoped he didn't have to leave Zootopia again so soon. "We have a team set to be deployed to the south. You are a good LIOZNA and it is vital you remain in touch with the team through electronic communications. For now, you are only to oversee the operations from here at home. But in the future...Who knows?"

A reprieve. Jack, the Lead Investigative Official for Zootopian National Affairs, or LIOZNA for short, would only communicate at a distance and not have to be present. Maybe the situation wasn't as serious as he thought. But it could always get worse. In which case, he knew he would be called in. And he hoped and pleaded to himself that this would not happen. Threats on homeland were just as important as foreign ones. Big needed to be dealt with. There was still so much to uncover here at home. The thought of leaving filled him with dread.

Despite the news, the meeting ended with a fair set of requirements from Jack: He would communicate every other night with the team to the South to help translate for the locals and culturally educate his team so they do not cause offense as they help investigate the murder of a presidential candidate. For now, this was all he needed to do. If the leads in the South needed a refresher on the history of the region, Jack would only be a phone call away to provide any necessary intel.

Jack sauntered out of the meeting and patiently walked to his office. He wanted to tour the headquarters for a bit and reflect on the activities of the many officers and officials in the building. He entertained himself by attempting to predict and work out behavioral patterns of fellow workers in his head. He toyed with questions in his mind as he would glance at a random target and wonder, "when and what does this person eat during lunch," "is this person married," "are they right or left-handed," among other things.

The long high pitched whine of a melancholic electric guitar playing in his pocket drew Jack's attention away from his thoughts. He reached for his phone and answered the call. It was Selene.

"Agent Jack, Gregory was able to spy on Big in the Rainforest District. I just got the messages now!" Jack unconsciously picked up the pace in his steps.

"Good! Tell me everything in detail."

"Wait until I see you. I know the day is just about done and I'm going to be clocking out, so I'll see you in the office. I just have to return the papers you gave me."

"Alright. Meet me there." He hung up and excitedly made his way through steel double doors that led to a corner staircase. He hurried up to the sixth floor to his office with a big awkward grin plastered across his short muzzle. His translucent white whiskers shined in the overhead lights in the halls.

Selene arrived shortly after Jack and filled him in on what Gregory had seen, including descriptions of the mammals present. He mentioned seeing weasels, foxes, and bears. He described their appearance and what they took away from the site.

"That's it! That's a good lead!" Jack threw a fist in the air as if claiming a victory. He paced and thought to himself for a brief moment as Selene watched. "If the foxes Gregory saw are who I think they are..." He stopped and noticed his disorganized desk. A pen tottered along the edge just barely hanging on.

With vigor, Jack tidied up his desk as he prepared to clock out for the day. There was so much he wanted to do. But work was going to force him to rethink his schedule and he needed to wait for documents and a video link to be mailed to him so he could communicate with his team in the harsh Southlands. Most likely, the info would be available tonight.

As he stopped to look over his office – a ritual he engaged in at the beginning and end of every workday to ensure things were in order and nothing was forgotten – he graciously said to Selene, "Thank you for everything today. I wouldn't have managed so well without your help. It was a lot of work," he laughed. Selene smiled back,

"Just doing my job, Sir. Goodnight." She packed up her belongings and retired from her shift, using her phone to punch out.

"Oh, wait!" Jack called out just before she closed the door behind her. She stopped and wearily turned around, opening the door wide again.

"What is it?"

"Contact Gregory tomorrow for me. Tell him to try to get records of that forged document. I want to know who the original recipient of cargo 68-CRD was supposed to be." Selene nodded affirmatively and said,

"Yes, Sir, Goodnight." Then she closed the door behind her.

Jack stood alone in his office. He eyed the suitcase full of the materials he purchased from Finnick. He was anxious to get the suit made.

It was not too long after Jack had returned home that he found waiting for him the information he needed to work with the team deployed to the Southlands. Jack conversed through video chat on his laptop with the Lead Diplomat, a black bear. The video chat was not just an introduction from Jack to his team overseas, but a response to the three e-mails he received containing documents about the situation in the south. Jack was to help the Lead Diplomat and the deployed team navigate a sensitive investigation involving the murder of a presidential candidate. The diplomat was sent to ease tensions between rival political groups but he needed some extra assistance with navigating sensitive cultural, religious and social practices in the region.

He familiarized himself with the names of his team members, twenty-three mammals in all. And he introduced them to important phrases in the region's languages. In all, the communications lasted about an hour before Jack signed off for the night.

The following night, after one more interview with the team in the Southlands, Jack met with his meerkat friend Frank, and two makeup artists in a private studio in Little Rodentia owned by a retired spy. It was close to midnight. The studio was a converted garage and had a remote-controlled gray roll-up door. It had two square slits for windows that allowed a fair amount of light through them.

A deer makeup artist excitedly set up her tools inside. Large bottles of colored dyes and cans of spray paint of over five shades of more than a dozen colors stood on a long black table in the back of the studio There were two pairs of scissors that varied in length and weight, rubber needles and other prosthetics and a copious amount of other tools for cutting, splitting, nailing and heating set in messy rows on wall shelves just behind the table. The deer's partner was a male sheep that had several years of experience in espionage and costume making. Frank would oversee the work being done, as requested by Jack. In the center of the room was an elongated grayish-green chair that hovered over a silver tub.

Jack stripped down to blue undershorts and sat in the chair. The team took measurements of his head and body.

He let his thoughts run free as he relaxed in the stretched-out chair, legs up, head back. The team drew light blue lines along the main features of his body. This wasn't the first time he had to have a new identity and wear a disguise. He did this once while in the Southlands. But his preying on Mr. Big was not legally sanctioned by Zootopian authorities. Nor did they know that he continued his investigation behind their backs.

Underneath Jack's chair was the silver tub that served to catch the excess liquid from the mold that would be poured over Jack. The mold would have to cool and harden over his body. Then the artists would gently chip away at the hardened cast and do another mold for his back. There would be casts made of his lower body as well as upper. Once this was done, the rubber and latex would be applied to the cast and cosmetically altered, including the addition of fur so that it resembled a squirrel. Once the cast no longer served a purpose, it would be discarded as the rubber covering would be removed from the cast like the skin of an animal and then placed onto Jack like clothing.

While the team waited for the liquid mold to cool enough to apply to Jack without scalding him, he thought about his encounter with Judy. He noticed when reflecting back to their meeting how every movement she made was driven by optimism and a sense of duty. Her lovely voice echoed in his head. He recalled the burning passion for her work that reminded Jack of how he used to be. It was exciting. He didn't notice the effect she had on him at the time because he was too focused on escaping from Finnick's shop without being noticed. But now as he lied back in the chair, he hoped to see her again. And that thought made him laugh.

"Hold still, Sir," the sheep said and applied a breathing straw to the thoughtful rabbit's mouth.

He laid back with his eyes closed. The deer reached for a large pumpkin shaped jar that she had just removed from a low flame as soon as Jack arrived so it could cool as he prepared for the procedure. The experienced sheep guided his deer partner with some advice on how to keep the liquid from bubbling so the cast would not break and crack once it hardened. With the aide of the stronger sheep, she lifted the still steaming jar and gently applied the off-white liquid mold over Jack's body.

Jack fought the urge to wince. The heat dissipated quickly enough and he sat motionless for several minutes as the thick milky substance smothered and swallowed his upper body like a monstrous goo devouring its prey. He would have to sit this way for nearly a half hour, relying on the breathing tube for air. And then the process would have to be repeated for his legs, which would be easier. Once it began to cool, the heavy liquid mold actually felt comfortable around his body. Some time through the procedure, Jack felt a hard thump hit his chair.

Jack jumped in his seat cocooned in the mold. His whole body bounced like a marble statue of a rabbit being tossed onto a cushion.

"Mwaaa? mh..." His muffled yelp amused Frank and the artists as his breath whistled through the straw.

"This isn't some late night spa. You're not getting a mud bath! Wake up," Frank teased. Realizing he fell asleep and Frank was kickkng his chair, Jack vibrated in laughter, setting off more snickers from the artists in the room. He must have looked like an egg trying to hatch, with his free legs clutching to the seat to remain still and the rest of him in a hardened shell that vibrated in the chair from his own laughter. The thought made him exhale so hard from laughter in his rabbit shaped shell that the breeathing straw was launched out of his mouth.

"Ho ho! Stop, ish pawling on ma fur!" Just a few minutes later after the room settled down, the team worked to gingerly remove the upper body mold. Jack yelped occasionally when they pulled around stuck spots on his fur. After another hour of repeating the process for the lower body mold, they called it a night. The entire process of creating the disguise would take two more visits. For now, the casting phase was enough and they needed to let it sit overnight to dry.


	12. Punishment and Profits

Up ahead of Bogo, Judge Hilo sat on the throne inside of Savanna Central's House of Law. The plaster walls of the courtroom were painted brown and to Bogo watching from the back, considered it to be cheap construction, but there were many courtrooms inside the hall and the city felt no need to spend lavishly on courtrooms. It was early afternoon and the verdict for Thomas Pohc, a pig accused of hacking into the ZPD database and stealing records of current and past officers needed to come through. He put down the police report he scrutinized for the last ten minutes. The trial was scheduled to begin a week earlier, but unforeseen events not related to the judge's assault had caused a delay in proceedings.

The trial of Pohc was in its fourth day. With a substantial amount of evidence against Thomas, the only thing left to do was hand down the sentence. Justice would be served.

"Thomas Pohc, for the data breach of a State-owned law enforcement entity, a felony offense, I find you guilty and sentence you to eighteen years in prison. You will serve your time in Sahara Correctional Facility. This court is adjourned." Judge Hilo slammed his gavel with satisfaction. Two cheetah guards approached Thomas. He held his head low and remained silent as he was escorted out in cuffs. The judge noticed Chief Bogo in the far back of the courtroom. Bogo nodded approvingly to the sentence as Hilo stood up and collected his papers. His phone buzzed in his pocket. The chief retrieved the phone and took a quick glance: two messages, J. Savage. He peeked at the text. Jack wanted background checks on Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. He raised a curious eyebrow and informed Jack that he would get to it by tonight. The second message was a heads up on stolen cargo from the Rainforest District.

"Bring me evidence or a witness of some kind and we'll open a case," Bogo replied. The Journalists still present snapped last second pictures of Thomas as he was escorted out of the room in cuffs.

* * *

Just south of the ZPD headquarters, after the verdict, Chief Bogo made his way to the Cat Heart Auditorium for a press conference. It was an open roof auditorium. A lion's mane sculpted out of marble rested on a pedestal at the far back center of the stage. It was also the place used for graduation ceremonies of new police recruits. The sculpture was fashioned after the Mayor's mane. Wooden chairs set in crescent-shaped rows were placed in front of the stage.

Chief Bogo calmly stared at the curious mob of reporters, organizing in his head the list of mammals he would call on for questions. They stood clustered together in a diverse mass of fur and rough skin, just along the right aisle next to the chairs. Pachyderms, canines, felines and a variety of other species stood eagerly for information. They held cameras, mics, notepads, and phones up and ready for any sound or movement to record. Well, at least the ones sitting were holding onto notepads. A giraffe caught Bogo's attention first.

"Yes, Yvonna, how about you?" The giraffe smiled and scratched at her neck with her free hand.

"Thank you, Chief. Was any personal information stolen that could be used to target family members of officers?" As she spoke, cameras were already flashing on Bogo. They clicked and whined like bugs in a forest. He blinked occasionally from the brightness.

"The information leaked was all public information that could be found online through common government databases. There is no known credible threat to any officers at this time. But we are urging families to exercise caution and attentiveness to sudden communications from unknown individuals reaching out to officers and their families." The Chief took a small step back and sighed. The first question was a loaded one. Being the experienced officer he was, Bogo maintained composure and with a proud chest pointed to a deer for the next question.

"What is being done to protect us from possible cyber attacks?"

"The funding events held by our Mayor is allowing us to update our tech databases and security to ensure that attacks such as this past hack do not occur again. Given the sensitivity of the software and hardware we are acquiring, I am not allowed to comment on what products we will be using."

He listened attentively to the reporters as they murmured and worked to sift through the hundreds of questions cycling through their minds. He turned his head quickly to his right and pointed to an impatient female goat standing in the corner of the crowd.

"What purpose was this information stolen for and who would buy it?" she asked. Chief Bogo nodded a moment. He wanted to be sure that the answer he gave wouldn't frighten them or the public at large listening to this conference.

"Investigators suspect that this information was stolen to sell identities on an underground cyber market. There are some details that remain hazy and we are in the middle of sorting out this information."

"Are police officers in any danger because of the hack?"

"There is as of now, no credible threat to officers that we know of." The Chief fielded questions for several more minutes. He answered questions about the well-being of Judge Hilo and about future plans for increasing street patrols. He pushed back against rumors about police corruption and when he felt the pressure of time to act on other duties said, "That will be all. There is still much I have to attend to today. Thank you."

The Chief walked off and avoided the insatiable eyes of dissatisfied reporters. They were never happy. He politely waved and smiled as he walked past them while keeping his attention forward.

* * *

Mr. Big cozied up in his favorite wooden rocking chair. He cushioned the seat and backrest with cheap plush materials. The same went for his modest-sized bed. Big didn't care for opulence for the sake of showing off. No, he valued the power of his reputation more than the power his money brought him.

"Daaaddy." Frieda called in a sing-song voice. She must have just arrived from her classes in hair styling. He puffed on South Desert, a foreign cigar brand discovered in one of the crates in the Rainforest District. The tendrils of smoke curled upward and bounced into the hallway. "Hey, that smells spicy," said Frieda, wrinkling her nose. Big only smiled. "I am going to put in the calls to your contacts tonight and remind them of the meeting at your club next week."

Occasionally, while Big was away from home attending to personal business, he allowed Frieda to help him manage his many other duties. She enjoyed being a part of his work. Often, he found himself victim to her begging and pleading just to let her be an active participant. He was grateful for her enthusiasm but was not willing to share all of his burdens with her.

"How were classes?" he asked.

"Oh, same old stuff. I'm learning about how different chemicals affect hair." Big gently shook the ashes from his cigar into an ashtray that sat on his lap.

"Do you find the classes simple?" Frieda thought about it for a moment, crossing her arms and lowering her head. The purse bounced off her stomach,

"Hmm...yes and no. Depends on how bored I get." Big chuckled,

"We should quickly make up for our expenses this past month. Finnick and Nick are doing a good job. And so are the fences in the Sahara and the Rainforest. Thomas being arrested does not concern me too much. He did his job and in time he will be...extricated and rewarded for the information we received." The warmth of his dream goal bubbled up in his gut once more. His eyes stared through the ornaments and furniture of his room and out to the horizon of his fantasy of a Zootopia under his control. Frieda threw her arms around him. She ran her fingers through his thinning hair. He smiled and slightly shook his head. The scratching was nice.

"Daddy. I just heard the crying when I came inside, I think that stupid aardvark downstairs finally finished cleaning out the icebox for you," she squeaked.

"Oh yes, that one." The aardvark was forced to undergo the gruesome task of scraping out the frozen corpses in the "icebox": an underground vault from where a jet stream of air gets blown by the climate machines placed inside Zootopia's border wall that separates the Sahara from the Tundra District. Big's home was just over one of the streams of these powerful jets. A vault was put in place to lock and redirect airflow underground. Still, Big's home was the coldest house in Zootopia. He sat up straight in his rocking chair, only causing it to rock back and forth more. The ashtray wobbled precariously in his lap but remained in place.

"Yes, maybe next time he will show a little more respect for the Family." Big took a final puff of his cigar then smothered out the flame by grinding the cigar into the ashtray. "My grandma taught me the value of respect and ambition. When I was young, sweetpea, if I had a fight and told my grandma, she would beat me if I failed to draw blood from my opponent." Frieda listened with curiosity.

"I haven't heard this one before."

"I don't tell it often. But I think it's time you know. She always said to me, 'Leave them with marks to remember you by.' Hah." Big scratched at the hand that held his cigar. The ashes made his fingers itch.

"I wish I could have met her," said Frieda. "She sounds like she was a strong lady."

"My grandma was the best," his voice rumbled in a low pleasant growl. "I thank her for every beating I endured. I thank her for my success. Never be satisfied, Frieda. Never let the smallest slight go by. We are shrews. Devour everything in your path, darling."

"Understood." She gave him a wicked smile and stood proud, being the recipient of his sage advice.

"I'll have Manchas escort that fool out of my home." Big faced his daughter and narrowed his gaze thoughtfully as she suddenly looked lost in thought. "Are you alright?" She let her eyes wander around the room then said,

"Yes. I just have some tests coming up and was wondering if you could keep business out of the house for a little while."

"Oh," Big raised his brows in surprise. "Sure! I'm happy for the help you have provided, but if my work will be a distraction, there are some places I can go." Frieda sighed in relief.

"Thanks, daddy."

"Of course, sweetheart."

"I'll go tell Manchas to come up." She turned to exit the room.

"You're doing a good job in school. Daddy's proud of you," said Big. Frieda turned back to the room and said,

"Oh, Bellwether wants to demonstrate to you the effects of" – she wiggled her skinny fingers in the air – "the 'Savage Serum!' Give her a call."

"I hope it's worth the trip," Big mumbled. Frieda ran back down to the main floor,

"Maaanchas..."


	13. Poison Plots

With Sunday free, Jack contacted Frank early morning about his disguise. He was told to expect it today and was excited to try it on. He now sat in the sheep's garage just before noon. He put on the legs and torso of his suit and then sat in a worn brown chair positioned in front of a table and mirror. He listened and watched through the mirror as the artist did some final touch-ups to the outfit.

She sprayed the prosthetic and fur and brushed down any odd spots. And with a loud click, the deer closed her can of spray paint. Jack put on the mask and joined together the rim of its neck to the torso piece. The artist adjusted the fur so that it blended and concealed any flaws. Jack sat back in his seat and stared into the mirror, marveling at the work the artists have done.

His eyes blinked unobstructed by the mask. His facial features moved naturally through the tight fitting disguise, unrestricted and comfortable. His ears, though bent to fit and mimic a squirrel, did not pinch or sting with discomfort. The contact lenses he had installed when he sat down added brown pigment over his gray eyes. The prosthetic in his cheeks and the fake bushy tail that hung behind him seemed to fit naturally. The furry suit was painted gray, so as not to create a noticeable contrast between his real fur and the fur of his disguise – should there be any damage in an exposed location.

"I love it," he said.

"Be sure to make use of the scent mask as well," said Frank. Jack turned to Frank with a smile, his fake chubby cheeks curled as if they were his own. "I will," he said.

"And spray your throat with that chemical I gave you to change your voice. It should last about an hour. So if you're going to be out on long trips in that disguise, be sure to use it frequently."

"Yes, I will just play it into the character. A compulsive squirrel with a thing for throat medicine." Frank nodded. Jack turned to the artists as they looked at him. He stood up and moved in his suit.

"That disguise could overheat if you're not careful," said the sheep.

"Right, there is that danger." Jack squeaked with delight. He practiced changing up his posture, attempting to adopt a more squirrely way of walking.

"You guys are the best. Thanks."

The suit was broken into four parts: The head was one, arms and upper torso made up the second piece, and the legs with the adjustable tail made up the rest. Jack moved his tail, feeling the weight of the fake squirrel appendage as he wagged it. It clung tightly to his natural rabbit's tail so whenever it moved, the tail would bounce slightly, to give it the impression of being a real squirrel tail, though it would not move as much as the real thing. The weight was a minor concern although he did feel it tug down on his tail with resistance as he wagged. _I suppose nothing could be done about that..._

Otherwise, no detail went overlooked. Jack Savage had vanished. He was now...

"Hmm. I'm going to need a name." Jack rested his arms on his hips and nodded in thought as he stood in front of the mirror. He perked up when the sheep spoke,

"Simon Marr. A bartender."

"Perfect!" Jack grinned.  _With that, I can get close to Big's Bar and Limo service in Tundratown without recognition_ , he thought. A message blipped on Jack's phone. He picked it up from the table and read "Attached file: Judy Hopps ID and police background, as requested."

"Captain Bogo, pulling through as usual." Jack closed the message planning to read the file later.

He turned to the meerkat, sheep, and deer. "I'm going to take all this off and pack up. I cannot join you for lunch today. I have to head to the ZPD."

"Working on your day off? No wonder you're stressed out," Frank teased. Jack smiled weakly behind his disguise and said, "If things were just a little different, I wouldn't. But the wicked never rest. Nor should we. Be relentless. Always."

* * *

Judy held a handcuffed skunk tightly in her paws and marched him into the station.

"Get off of me!" He squirmed under her strong grip as she held his head down with one paw and the other firmly around his cuffed wrists from behind. Francine the elephant stepped up from Judy's left.

"I'll hold him from here, darling." Judy allowed her to take the smaller skunk from her. She watched enthralled at how she easily wrapped one large hand around the back of the skunk's neck and froze him in place.

"Thanks, Francine." Judy smiled proudly and walked around to Francine's left, putting more distance between her and the skunk. Her adrenaline finally eased off. She could feed on the thrill of the catch for hours. She approached the front desk to provide Sergeant Clawhauser, an overweight cheetah, with details of the arrest.

"Sooo," Clawhauser began. He rested his elbows up on the counter to rest his head in upturned paws. "What mischievous behavior do we have this time, hmm?" His friendly high pitched voice droned out with interest as he stared down at Judy. Judy counted the crimes on her paw, tapping for each one,

"Slashing the tires of a neighbor's car and punching a good samaritan who shouted him out. He also swiped at  _me_  when I confronted him." She shot a glare his way, her ears dropped behind her head. Clawhauser stared at the skunk with contempt.

"Hmph! Assault, attempted assault of an officer, and destruction of property." He shook his head and tsked. "Angry one."

"She tasered me!" The skunk pointed with his snout at Judy.

"And you probably deserved it, sweetie," Clawhauser said. The skunk only grunted and lowered his head, forcing himself to calm down and avoid receiving a painful neck pinch from the powerful Francine still looming over him as she held him in place.

"Oh my gosh!" Judy stared at Clawhauser in surprise from his outburst. He dropped the booking chart he held in his paws onto the counter and stared past Judy and Francine, prompting them to do the same. Judy watched as a figure dressed in an expensive purple button-shirt and black pants approached.

"Is that Jack?" Clawhauser squealed. Jack glanced at Francine and the skunk then walked straight to Judy.

"Judith Hopps is it?" He approached her with a stern mien. But as he stood next to her, she noticed his expression soften with uncertainty.

"Yes, sir!" Judy beamed, happy to confirm her identity for him. Their last meeting left her with questions that weighed on her thoughts. Perhaps this would be her moment to probe for information.

"Are you busy? I have some important business to discuss with you..." Jack said softly, almost forgetting his voice.  _Perfect_ , she thought.

"Sure, um, I just need to see the Chief and I'll be outside." She clasped her paws in front of her. "Wait for me out front?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Please be there. It is urgent."

"I will. I have some questions for you as well," she said excitedly and hurried to the chief's office. She pondered how to ask her questions along the way.

After some minutes, Judy walked out of the police station with a folder tucked under her arm. She darted her sun-pierced eyes left and right, looking for Jack. Once they adjusted, she rested her gaze on a figure leaning against a street lamp. She paused to take in the sight. Jack leaned on the pole with his arms crossed. The bright noon sun absorbed by his dark clothing was reflected only in the light gray of his fur. She watched for a second as he stared into his phone, admiring the view in front of her.

Questions swirled in her mind about their first encounter. Jack met her gaze and weakly smiled. He slowly walked up to her with a confident posture. Or was that just because of his athletic build? Regardless, it was an alluring thing to behold. She shook her head and smiled.

"I'm so used to seeing you in suits on TV or in speeches on stage. You look so different without a red tie," she teased.

"I can't wear those all the time. Honestly, I don't like them so much." He blinked and let his eyes wander over her. At five feet and two inches, he was only two inches taller than Judy.

Their ears wobbled as a soft breeze passed. "Can we perhaps walk while we talk?" asked Jack. "I only want you to hear me."

"Sure but," Judy looked around momentarily then placed her hands on her hips. Tbe questions on Judy's mind were desperate for release. She blinked at Jack and sternly said, "Sir I have some questions." Her hardened tone brought him to attention.

"Alright." In a hushed voice, Judy asked,

"Why were you in Finnick's shop?"

"That's actually one of the things I want to talk to you about. Shall we?" Jack gestured with a thumb to the streets of Savanna.

"Yes, of course." They walked side by side through the streets. For a while, all was quiet except for Judy's police radio buzzing chatter from patrolling officers around the city. After two more blocks, Jack looked around, perhaps to make sure few people were near. He turned to Judy,

"Over the last two months, I have been doing a private investigation into the crimes around Zootopia. There has been an increase in a certain set of crimes that caught my attention." Judy curiously blinked at Jack and blocked out the noise from her radio. "The increase in businesses either suddenly folding under, or its owners going missing or engaging in questionable activities is no coincidence."

"It's Big, isn't it?" Judy cut in. Jack nodded.

"Good job. What makes you say so?"

"The Chief handed me this case file"- Judy handed Jack the folder she carried under her arm - "and it says a witness saw a shrew in the Rainforest District!" she smiled. "A seal said that a cargo container labeled 68-CRD was suspiciously rerouted. And that he saw who I'm guessing was Big, and several others in the docks."

Jack quickly thumbed through the file with dimly lit hope in his eyes. He handed back the file and focused his gaze on Judy as she continued, "And when I spoke to Finnick, he trembled when I mentioned Big's name. He panicked and nearly broke down in tears in front of me." They continued walking further away from the police station. It was now no longer in sight as they turned a corner.

"So, the foxes are not willing participants after all..." Jack mumbled and lowered his head.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing. There is more going on. I think Big is looking for ways to fund something more serious."

Judy worked to put the connections together in her head. The trial of Finnick, the arms deals, Finnick escaping punishment, and now stolen cargo. But when she hit a wall in her thinking she asked,

"What more do you think there could be, Sir?" Jack slowed his steps just outside of a park by a basketball court. A group of young raccoons played a three-on-three game with pigs.

"Well, the thefts of heavy duty equipment, including elite police grade clothing and weaponry suggests Big is arming his people. But we do not know what for or who his targets are."

"Sweet cheese and crackers..." Judy crossed her arms and lowered her eyes in thought. "How can you be so sure this?" she finally asked. Judy had hoped he would back down on his hunches. She wanted this to be simpler than it sounded.

"I've traveled the world confronting people like Big. I've just never worked a case at home as I'd like. It's all the same formula: Stockpile weapons or other dangerous tools, find a way to fund yourself and then when the time is right, you strike."

Judy stared attentively as Jack explained what he knew given his experience. Some of the theories he presented to her were somewhat familiar. She had studied criminal and mob psychology while she trained at the police academy.

The bunnies walked into the park to find a bench. An empty one near the court provided them with shade and a cool breeze.

"It gets worse. After reviewing my notes from the crimes, I've come to notice something that disturbs me greatly. And it isn't the crimes themselves."

Judy sat to the left of Jack and rested an arm on the backrest of the rough wooden bench as she faced him. She folded her right leg over her left knee. Her ears carefully listening to every word, eyes watching every uncomfortable body movement as he expressed his anxieties, urgency, dread,

"What is really disturbing is the pattern of not guilty verdicts. It just doesn't make sense that someone so steeped in dirty business could continuously squeak by without something sticking. Finnick should have been convicted without a doubt. Yet he walked free. Police grade equipment doesn't just get lost and pawned off. Time and again Big or his goons end up escaping conviction. The people we trust to do their jobs are turning a blind eye. It has been the same every time. There is deep-rooted corruption going on here."

Hairs bristled on Judy's fur as Jack gazed at her. His voice quivered with worry. "The only people I can trust in the ZPD is Chief Bogo," he took a deep shaky breath and added, "and you."

"Well, why me?" Judy asked, flattered, but curious.

"I'm a good judge of character," Jack boasted. "Plus, you're new. You probably haven't had the time to be worn down by failure as other officers have. You haven't been made vulnerable to corruption by years of disappointment. Your body language and the questions you asked me during our first encounter left me with a good impression." She gave Jack a quizzical look at the comment. How he managed to inject pessimism into his compliment was oddly amusing. Jack held up his phone and displayed the screen to Judy. "And I read your file. You're quite the scholarly and athletic officer. Good marks all around. Honest." He smiled and placed the phone in his pants pocket.

She gave Jack a confident smirk then said, "Well, I certainly do try. This is all I want to do. Make Zootopia a better place." Jack leaned forward on the bench, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I miss that..." he mumbled. Judy's ear stood tickled,

"What was that?" she leaned forward and looked at Jack, matching his posture. He shook off his nostalgia.

"Nevermind." During a lull in the conversation, mostly due to Jack dragging out the time, Judy asked,

"Sir, you mumbled something earlier? When I mentioned Finnick?"

"Oh, Gregory, the seal that brought up the case, said there were foxes present during the illegal trade in the Rainforest Docks. I think he said it was a pair. One fennec fox and one red fox. He did say Big was there as well, as you assume your file says."

"How do you know about the seal?" Jack bit his lip and nodded. He sighed and said in a hushed tone, "He's a friend of mine."

"Oh..." Satisfied, Judy turned back her attention to the mention of foxes in the rainforest. "A fennec and red fox, right?"

"Yes," nodded Jack. There was only one pair of a fennec and red fox they could think of. Judy and Jack looked at each other with knowing eyes and together said,

"Nick and Finnick!" Judy almost jumped up from her seat and turned to face him, "Sir, I'll get right on it." She gave him her best look of duty and purpose. Jack momentarily returned the expression, mirroring her intensity subconsciously.

"Judy, I-can we perhaps do lunch? Despite the topic, I've enjoyed this." She perked up and replied,

"I'd be honored to! How about tomorrow?" Jack shook his head.

"No, it would have to be next week. I will be very busy. Both day and night."

"Let's exchange numbers then," Judy said, her belly warmed at the suggestion.

"Sure." He smiled gratefully and held up his phone ready for her contact info. While she fed him the number he said, "Oh if you want to speak to Gregory, go to the Sahara Docks in Sahara Square. He just returned there. Occasionally he bounces around from the two docks in Zootopia. I suggest you avoid Big. Please." He saved the number then called Judy so she could record his directly from her call log.

"Sir, I will be careful. And...I enjoyed this too." Judy said her goodbyes and ventured off to inquire about Big and the stolen cargo. She mulled over her options; confront Big directly, or speak with another mammal that was present at the scene. Feeling the weight of Jack's words and not having any experience with Big who was beginning to swell into a larger problem than she thought he could ever be, she decided on playing it safe and stay street level. Everything trickled down anyway. That left only three choices: Gregory, Finnick or Nick. She decided on a familiar target saying,

"I guess I'll go and question the red jerk..." With her file in paw, she headed south.

* * *

"Alright, Assistant Mayor Bellwether," said Big. "Show me what this savage serum can do."

Big stood by his bears Kevin and Craig. Opposite them stood Bellwether as she stared out the glass wall. They were in a raised viewing room overlooking what used to be an underground car lot. Now it was a test facility owned by three sheep: Doug, Woolter, and Jesse. A wooden table was set next to the glass wall in the room. The wall had a small knob that appeared to hover in mid-air, bolted to the glass. It opened a sliding panel window. On the table, sat an intercom control and speaker. The pavement of the main floor sloped upward and out of the lot. But the gate up the slope was shut. Orange light poured in through the windows but it was overpowered by the white lights of the facility. Big stared through the glass towards a badger that paced nervously about in the testing zone.

"Okay, he is ready." Bellwether picked up a skinny bronze colored gun with a short needle sticking out its barrel. The hammer had been cocked back, ready to release with a kick whatever substance that sat patiently inside it. Big stepped aside, allowing her to reach the window panel. She slid open the glass panel on the wall and reached through it with her pistol in hand. Her hand hung limply out the window as she turned on the intercom,

"Paul it is time to demonstrate how the serum affects mammals."

The badger threw an alert gaze towards the audience as he heard the speakers blaring Bellwether's instructions.

"First, walk up to that stone block in front of you and attempt to lift it as normal. Once you complete this, I will inject you with the serum. And you will attempt to lift the stone again."

Big watched as Paul nodded in understanding and shook out his arms. He walked over to a smooth rectangular stone about the length of a large suitcase. The stone was about a foot in height. The dense earthly object resisted Paul's attempts to lift it. With a few more huffs and applied force, the badger got a better grip in a squat position and lifted the stone, but dropped it back down before he could raise it past his knees.

"Grah!" he stepped back and rubbed his arms and fingers.

Big smoothed his bushy eyebrows and stood closer to the glass. The bears continued to hover close to his sides like protective furred armor. Despite the confined space, Big was proud of his bears. Perfect form as usual boys. He first watched Bellwether's hand as it raised the gun. He then stared at the needle. Finally, he watched the badger as the needle flew through the air and stuck into Paul's neck.

Nice shot, thought Big.

Paul winced from the sting. The thin but syrupy blue substance drained into his veins. He pulled the needle out of his neck and threw it to the side. Paul focused on deep calm breaths.

"How long until it kicks in?" asked Big.

"Just give it a minute."

Bellwether opened up a wall cabinet next to the exit of the room and pulled out a small box. Big heard the rattling of small items rolling inside as she placed it on the table. Inside were more needles. But the color of the liquid inside them was different from the one used to shoot Paul. Big decided to make an educated guess,

"A counter drug?"

"Yes," replied Bellwether. She opened up her gun and inserted a needle with an aqua green substance.

Paul's breathing shortened. His ears began to ring. A high pitched growl caught the attention of his spectators. He briskly walked towards the stone with tense muscles that felt unnaturally warm. He dug his fingers under the object without any flinch of pain as his claws were scraped by the stone. He swiftly lifted it with a grunt and held it up to his chest. He walked with it some steps before holding it above his head with one more forceful push. He snarled in victory with a little bit of drool and held the stone steady. His eyes pierced into the room above.

"Keep in mind that this drug doesn't make strength out of thin air. It merely allows the body to block pain and fuels the bodies natural muscle stimulation. It is common knowledge that adrenaline bursts can cause mammals to perform exceptional feats of strength. Just think what would happen if an elephant was in a fury."

Big smiled and audibly mused, "Oh what a sight it would be to see an elephant lift up a police jeep and throw it down a city block like a beach ball."

"With their natural strength, their rampages can probably do more than toss a jeep," said Bellwether.

With a loud boom, Paul tossed the stone aside and stood up straight. He waited for Bellwether to shoot him with the antidote. The adrenaline tingled and warmed his body. It deafened him to the words of those around him as his head was filled with a ringing noise. But after a few moments of waiting, it began to agitate him. He lost the ability to use words to communicate and this forced him into a panic. As adrenaline overtook him, he thrashed and snarled, desperate for release from the heart-shocking rush. His muscles quivered with ferocious energy. Big watched with curious eyes as Paul scratched at an itch in his head as the tickling pleasure of adrenaline returned. The many sensations of pleasure suddenly ebbed and made way for irritability once more. Then they would return like unsteady waves at a beach. His heart slowed but his body felt uncomfortably hot. Growing ever more impatient for the antidote, Paul ran to the cracked stone on the pavement then picked it up. He aimed it at the audience angrily and launched it up towards the glass.

"Whoa!" Big took a swift step back, bumping into Craig who motioned with his arms to guard his "Father".

The stone flew through the air like an out of control parade float and missed the viewing room window by a few inches. It thudded harmlessly against the wall before crashing back down to solid earth.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Big.

Bellwether aimed her gun and fired at Paul.

Within minutes, Paul was on the ground, sitting and coughing. He had broken some of the claws on his hands and felt only minimal pain. But he would sensitize soon and the agony would settle in bitterly. His nose leaked a mix of snot and blood.

The speakers whined as Bellwether turned it on to say,

"I apologize for making you hold onto that. I wanted to show Big the long-term effects of the drug. You did very well, Paul. Enjoy your compensation. Jesse will escort you out."

Paul wiped his running nose and stood up on shaky legs. He nodded in understanding to Bellwether before turning around to walk up the slope to Jesse. The sheep had been watching from the closed entrance. He approached Paul and escorted him away as Big looked on from the viewing room.

Bellwether folded her hands in front of her and stood facing Big. In a teacher's voice, she began explaining the effects of the drug.

"As you can see, small doses can have a powerful effect that can change over time. It stresses the heart and mind but the result is a mammal capable of wild fury. Sometimes the response is hunger, other times it is just a fight or flight response. But in most cases, the subject would slowly lose control over his or her communication skills and temper. It is still a work in progress."

Big came for a show. And Bellwether delivered. With a swell of steady income flowing from his Bar and Limo service as well as the many hustlers and businesses around Zootopia, Big felt confident that he could purchase the necessary amount for his and Bellwether's main goal. He turned to the sheep with a pleased grin and said,

"So, how fast can you mix up a batch?"


	14. Corruption

On the day Judy wandered South Savanna holding her case file, Nick was nowhere to be found. Not willing to risk being alone in Tundratown with a reputed crime lord, she stalked the streets of Savanna the following evening to try to catch Nick again. She wasn't skittish, but if anyone had enough knowledge to shake Big down and bring him to justice, someone would have done so already. Jack would have done it, she thought.

Upon reaching the corner of the street Nick sets up shop, she heard his familiar soft charismatic voice as he bantered with a row of customers. Tendrils of smoke snaked upward from Nick's truck. The smell of fried fish sat in the still air. Judy could hear customers laughing and chatting as they waited for their order, eyes sparkling toward the fox.  _Such charm. How does he do it?_

Nick glanced at Judy as she approached the back of the shrinking crowd. He abruptly went silent and shifted his gaze away from her until she was the only one remaining. Restoring his confident smile he said,

"Hello, Officer...help me out here."

"Officer Judy Hopps," she said. She paid close attention to his behavior, becoming more familiar with how he reacted to her. She thought she was getting better at recognizing his fake smiles.

"And what would you like today? News costs extra," he winked. Judy forced a chuckle. She turned away from the truck to snatch up a pocket of fresh air under the haze of smoke in front of the truck. The fishy odor was noxious and it choked her.

"Well, that's not going to be too bad. I think I have a free information waiver around here somewhere." She threw him a cocky look and jumped straight to her request.

"Let me into your truck and close the window so we can talk privately." Nick sucked in a breath and scowled,

"You're as annoying as you are cute, you know that?" Judy reached into her pocket and pulled out a copy of the case file. She waved it in front of her and whispered,

"Well, this 'cute' annoying bunny is your lifeline out of Big's clutches. Now drop the stubborn act and let me in or I take you to the precinct myself for being a co-conspirator in some heavy-duty cargo theft!" With wide-eyed surprise, a defeated Nick slapped his warm stove with a grunt then opened the door to his truck.

"Come in, Hopps." Feeling victorious at getting him to cooperate with something, Judy walked to the back of his truck with energetic steps. She froze mid-step near the entrance and watched a lion in a police uniform walking her way.

"Hey! Officer Delgato." Trembling paws suddenly pressed on her upper back. She stretched her arms out and held the edges of the truck's walls as Nick attempted to shove Judy away from the door.

"Okay bunny cop, time's up."

"Wai-what?" With flopping ears, Judy turned her head to Nick. Confusion disrupted her speech,

"But I j-"

"-You were just leaving, Officer Hopps. I can take it from here," said Delgato.

"N-no. Hold on a second!" She held up her arms between Delgato and Nick, digging her heels into the earth. She looked at Delgato, "Officer Juan Delgato, I am working a case here." Nick turned away, grumbling, and walked deeper into his truck. "Look!" With a crinkle, Judy whipped out the case file. Delgato barely skimmed through the paper she held in front of him before he glowered at her.

"So I see..." Delgato returned the paper to Judy. After a thoughtful pause, he said, "I apologize for the confusion. Perhaps we can squeeze the information out of Mr. Wilde together?"

"Perfect!" She smiled. But something was off. He looked quite agitated this evening.

"Are we doing this dance again? And inside my truck no less?" said an angry Nick as Delgato helped himself inside and closed the door behind him. Nick closed the window apprehensively. The two white lamps embedded into the roof of the truck lit up the interior and shrouded the fox and rabbit in a soft white shine. Delgato's rough lion fur remained dull in the light.

Delgato stepped forward, placing himself between Nick and Judy. He rumbled in his police voice,

"Cut the crap. What do you know about Big?" Judy watched them suspiciously. He bumped his chest into the shorter fox with enough force to make his mane jump.

"He's ugly and old," said Nick, stumbling back, hitting the door to the driver's seat.

"That's..." Judy slumped forward on her feet and leaned on her knees for support as she laughed. Delgato resisted a smirk then said,

"How much chocolate did he give you, huh?"

"I don't know anything about chocolate!" said Nick. He cautiously circled around as Delgato loomed well within Nick's personal space.

Judy darted her eyes around the interior of the truck. Something had to be here. She glanced at closed cabinets, drawers, an open cooler with fish, and the cooking station. Below it was an empty box labeled South Crunch Chocolates standing up inside a trash can. Triumphantly, she pulled it from the can and stood by Delgato's side.

"Oh yeah? Then how do you explain this?" Nick averted his gaze from the two of them. He stood just in front of the cooler and stove. Delgato growled.  _Wait, what was it that Delgato said about chocolate?_ Judy's ears stood straight up.

"What makes you say that Big gave Nick these chocolates?" The truck went quiet. Nick nervously darted his eyes between the two officers.

"I've never seen Nick sell chocolate," shrugged Delgato. He took an unusually long second to answer her question. "He had to get them from somewhere." Delgato looked at Judy, defensively. She sensed his breathing quickened. In the brief silence, Judy asked,

"So, what brings you to visit Nick? I mean, I'm working a case, but you approached like you had some business here. Why didn't the Chief tell me?" Delgato averted her gaze and shoved away a turned over bucket with his heel,

"Don't worry about it. Maybe when you have more experience, I'll fill you in," Judy looked at Nick. He focused widened green eyes at her and blinked rhythmically at Judy. He barely contained his panic. When Delgato looked at him, Nick quickly began rubbing his eyes and said,

"The smoke in here irritates the peepers."

"So it does..." said a thoughtful Judy. Her brain was fighting with a sudden riddle. She turned to Delgato with paws on her hips, but before she could speak, Nick reached behind him and snatched up a fish from the cooler. He whipped it at Judy and with a wet sloshy thud, shoved the fish in her face.

"Bleh! What the hell? Nick?" Judy flinched from the blow. "Hitting me with a fish? Really?" She stared at Nick with ruffled wet fur and a confused look. The pungent smell and moisture near her right eye forced her to keep it closed. Wet fish water dripped off her right tilted ear and cheek. Nick stared back with half apologetic, half amused eyes. Delgato then pushed the fox to the ground,

"Alright, that's enough. You're under arrest,"

"No!" shouted Nick. With her brain firing off revelations like fireworks, piecing together Nick's sudden strange behavior, Judy stepped in. She reached up and placed a paw on Delgato's shoulder.

"I'll take care of it Delgato. It's my patrol as ordered by the Chief. And I was assaulted. I will do the arrest." Nick, forced to face the floor of his truck with arms held behind his back, sighed. Judy swore she heard relief and she kept her focus on him, trying to glean more information from his behavior.

"Why don't you just go back and let me handle it?" Delgato said. His voice shook with frustration. Judy countered in a forceful tone,

"Officer Delgato, I came here to work a case. You haven't given me a reason for why you are here. Return to your patrol or the Chief will have words with you."

Stunned and without a retort Delgato stood up on shaky legs and stormed out of Nick's truck, emitting a lion-like snarl that bounced off the buildings and cars in the streets. Nick remained motionless on the ground, ears flat to his head. Judy watched the lion stomp away for a moment before returning her attention to Nick.

"Ugh, that fish, I'm a herbivore. Are you trying to poison me?" Judy wiped her face, trying to smooth down the wet stinking fur and grabbed Nick. She cuffed him and walked him out of the truck. The trembling Nick glanced back, watching Delgato walk away and shrink into the distance.

"Just stay low, we're almost at my car," said Judy.

"T-thanks. And sorry, or something."

"Well, that's probably the nicest thing you'll say to me tonight, so I'll take it."

Nick kept his shoulders hunched as Judy held him in front of her. She loudly went through the protocol, reading Nick his rights as she guided him to the car. With just a turn of the corner and a few more steps, Judy opened up her patrol car and carefully shoved Nick in the back seat.

She drove him around the city for some minutes, stopping once, only to go to the backseat of the car and free Nick from his cuffs. He was fidgeting uncomfortably in the back seat and the growing noises of distress made by Nick were becoming more than she wanted to bear. Judy was at first afraid Nick would try to run away but was pleasantly surprised when he obediently remained in his seat. Judy went back to the driver's side and deliberately avoided the police department. She turned off the flashing lights of the car. The smell of fish filled the interior. The tenacious odor would return and fade then return again. It bugged her considerably.

"Alright, this is the safest place to speak your peace. Please talk to me," Judy pleaded. Nick hunched forward,

"Delgato is working with Big," he began.

"I was beginning to suspect," Judy muttered. Nick continued,

"I've had an on and off relationship with Big for about a year now. He helped me set up my food truck." Judy shot a glance at him through the mirror in her car. The image of his face was cut into diamonds by the protective fence that separated the front half of the car from the back.

"But my license is legit," Nick swiftly added. "Anyway, recently Big has been busy and requesting favors and demanding things."

"Do you know why? What's his end goal?" Judy drove around in loops, passing shops, and mammals that sauntered the darkening streets. She drove at a steady pace, focusing on Nick's story and not wanting to drive too far from Nick's truck. She crossed into another officers patrol zone. Officer McHorn waved and smiled sleepily from his driver's seat at Judy as her car slowly rolled by. Fangmeyer obliviously snacked away in her seat beside him.

"I don't know what his end goal is," said Nick. "I try to mind my business. Here in Zootopia, it's every mammal for his or herself."

"I disagree with that one," Judy said plainly.

"Of course you would," Nick mumbled.

"Tell me about the stolen cargo and Delgato."

"See that's what Big doesn't say. He doesn't call you up like, 'Hey I just stole some stuff now go and sell it.' He treats everything like it's normal business. But we both know it's never normal business with Big."

"So why bother? Why be involved at all?" Nick scoffed,

"Look, I get heat from all sorts of mammals for being a fox. You've any idea how hard it is to do simple things like get a loan to start up a business when all you get are lame excuses like I'm a 'high risk' borrower when I have no record of borrowing anything, ever? I know why they denied me. The same reason I get dirty looks, the same reason people suddenly stuff their hands in their pockets when I walk by." He glared forward.

Judy watched his diagonal cut face behind the cage from her mirror. She recognized that stare. It was the same as his mugshot in his criminal record. "You really don't know his reputation, do you? Big isn't someone you just say no to. He's brutal. I haven't had the best of luck, so I do what I must to get by. I just want to be left alone. But trouble just walks up to me."

A hint of anguish cracked his voice. Judy's ears drooped sympathetically.

"Nick, don't give up hope. We'll find a way to make this right. And you'll be free of Big."

Nick stared out the window. After nearly a half hour, Judy considered it safe to drive Nick back to his stall and turned her car around. But she couldn't have enough information. Taking advantage of Nick's cooperation and openness, she continued to pry,

"What did Delgato want from you?"

"He was here to collect payment for Big. Some of the goods I sell, including the empty chocolate box you found, were supplied by Big. So he comes every ten days or so to collect."

"An officer doing the dirty work for a crime boss..." Judy growled and bumped her head on her steering wheel in frustration. Her ears waving back and forth with each thump.

"Are there any other officers that I need to watch out for?" she asked, her head rested on the wheel.

"None that I can think of," said Nick.

"I'm going to have to contact Jack," Judy mumbled. Nick's ears perked,

"Who is that?"

"Just a good hare." She sighed as the image of Jack flashed in her mind. A serious look in his eyes, sharp stripes marking his face. "A really good one. He was the reason I got the case on Big's cargo," she winked in the mirror.

Just four blocks down and one to the left from Nick's truck, close to where Fangmeyer and McHorn were stationed, the shining pink lights from a diners glass windows caught Judy's attention. She hadn't had dinner and figured it would be alright to let Nick out now.

"Hey, I'm going to get food. Will you be alright on the way back?" Nick thought about it for a moment then said,

"Yes. Thank you, Officer." Judy smiled then parked her car near the restaurant. She walked round to the back of her vehicle to open the door for Nick. But before he could step out of the car, she pointed one fuzzy finger at his muzzle and said,

"Don't go telling your customers you slapped an officer with a fish and got away with it!" That broke the tension between them as waves of pleasant rolling laughter escaped Nick's lungs. He shook his head and stretched as he got out of the car.

"I'll check in on you when I can." She softly knocked him on the chin endearingly with a fist. "Don't hold out on me." He gazed at her with a sparkle in his green eyes. Tail involuntarily wagging.

"I suppose I could try harder, Fluff." Nick waved and swiftly ventured back to his truck. Judy sighed, satisfied with the information she got from him. It made her feel good to think she could possibly be a lifeline for an unlucky street fox. But it was going to take more than just one rabbit to make this right.


	15. Allies

Judy entered the haze of pink that enveloped the interior of the diner. She approached the counter after glancing at the menu already set on what to order. Her thoughts about Delgato and his behavior spun turbulently in her mind. She fidgeted on her feet anxiously as she approached the counter and thought about Nick by himself. Immediately after placing an order, she jogged outside and stood by the entrance. Surely there must be other officers she could ask for help. Chief Bogo was not around. Nor was Jack. This job was becoming too much for one mammal. She was beginning to believe that she was working this entire investigation by herself. But that would be the stress talking. Realizing this only made Judy appreciate the distress exhibited by Jack when he talked about their Big problem.

She stood on one of several similarly paved streets. They were long and narrow. Shops and apartments stood on either side. Colored brick and steel broken in by the occasional square shaped window or door helped define the features of otherwise unremarkable architecture. Judy looked up the black street to her right and remembered seeing Officers McHorn and Fangmeyer sitting idle in their car just around the corner. She ran up the street, still about four blocks down and to the left from where Nick had abandoned his truck.

"Please be there," she mumbled.

Judy turned the corner and lit up with a hopeful smile. Their car was still set where Judy saw it last. McHorn's large gray rough-skinned arm was lazily hung out the window of the driver's seat. He slowly lifted his arm in a wave as Judy approached. Fangmeyer turned her head curiously at Judy as she stood by the driver's window.

"Evening Jude," said Fangmeyer.

"Hey, you two." Fangmeyer focused her gaze on Judy, observing her body language as she scratched the back of her head nervously. Her ears tilted off to the side. There was a discomfort to Judy that caught all of Fangemeyer's attention. She sat up in her seat to hear what troubles might have been on her mind.

"What's on your mind, Judy? Having a good night?" asked McHorn. Putting on a weak smile, Judy spoke,

"I drove by you two earlier and I just wanted to see what's up? You're not too busy are you?"

"Nope," said Fangmeyer, "just an average dull night patrol."

"I saw you driving with a fox in the back of your car. Did something happen? Is he a suspect? I ask because he just walked off on his own," said Mchorn. Thankful for the reminder, Fangmeyer added her voice to his curiosity,

"Oh, hey what was that about? Why did he just walk off like that?"

"See, yeah about that fox..." The street lamps bathed Judy in their copper-colored light. She hardened her voice and urgently said, "I think something very strange and sinister is going on. And that fox is in trouble. But it is a long story that I cannot tell out here so casually. His name is Nick Wilde. I am alone and need your help. Please, I am asking as a fellow officer. Can you keep an eye on Nick Wilde and make sure he stays safe tonight?" The desperation in Judy's voice should have been convincing enough for Fangmeyer and McHorn. She did not have to wait long for an answer when they jumped in their seats at her distress.

"S-sure," said McHorn. "Where is he now?"

"His food truck is just up a few blocks. You can't miss it. Keep looking..." Judy looked up at the street signs. She pointed to the corner from where she turned up to their car and said, "North. Just look north as you drive up these streets. Can you do me this favor? I've had an interesting night already. I'm going to pick up food and head to the station to report on what's been going on."

"Will do," McHorn said and flashed the lights of his vehicle. Judy smiled, her eyes moistened with hope and relief.

"Thank you! I really appreciate this." The lights of the patrol car danced off of her fur and tinted her vision with red and blue. "I promise to tell you more when I make sense of it all. I just really need some friends right now."

"Hey," Fangmeyer said softly, "we got your back. Don't worry." Fangmeyer threw her a reassuring wink. She lurched forward in her seat as McHorn suddenly reversed his vehicle to the corner of the block and spun it around. As they drove off, Judy sighed, a weight lifting from her chest. Corruption or not, allies needed to be made. She hoped she just found two.

* * *

With silent flashing lights, McHorn strolled up the streets as he and Fangmeyer peered out their windows to either side. They did not speak, instead, they focused on looking around. Having been partners for several months now, they developed enough familiarity to communicate through body language. Fangmeyer's ears suddenly perked straight up when a surprised yelp amidst crashing and grunting sounds echoed off of the buildings in the empty streets. Their attention was drawn to the next block. Fangmeyer spotted a goat holding a fox over the edge of the window in his food truck.

She pointed up the block at the scene and said,

"Let's go!" Fangmeyer shoved open her door. Her long legs and muscled body ready for action. McHorn turned on the speaker from his vehicle and barked an order,

"ZPD! Stop at once and throw your arms up."

The goat holding Nick over his stall let go then bolted up the street. Seeing the goat make an attempt to flee gave Fangmeyer mixed feelings of excitement and annoyance.

"What, you think I can't run?" Fangmeyer breezed up the block past Nick's truck. She saw the red fox push himself back inside. But she also caught the glimpse of a shorter goat with painted horns, run out of the truck. He took a perpendicular route away from the scene. Already set on a target, Fangmeyer kept her focus on the one in front of her. His braided beard swayed chaotically as he ran. She grew confident as she slowly closed the distance, barely panting. All that SWAT training was paying off.

The goat bleated in panic when he glanced behind him. He only ran a block and a half more away from the scene before his pursuer landed a hard pat on his back, forcing him off balance and down to the ground. He bounced and scraped his chin as he hit concrete. Victoriously, Fangmeyer slammed a knee down onto his back.

"Hunh!" He grunted as the air was forced out of his body. She snatched her cuffs with trembling paws and cuffed the goat. She took a moment to pant and kept her weight on him, ignoring his protests. When she was ready, she lifted up her prey by the back of his brown shirt with a slight grunt, careful to keep clear of his horns as they stretched back toward her face.

"Up you go!"

"Damn it. That's a'ight you ain't catching my boy anyway." Fangmeyer squeezed her grip around the goat's shirt and pushed him forward, guiding him back to McHorn. The goat's ranting went unheard as Fangmeyer thought about Judy. Either she knew exactly what was going to happen here, or she just had one hell of a lucky guess. Although intrigued, her curiosity would have to wait.

Fangmeyer returned to the scene of the crime to find McHorn guarding Nick's stall. He looked around to see if anyone else was present that may have escaped notice. All was quiet except for the whimpering and cursing of Nick in his stall as she marched her way back to McHorn. McHorn looked at her and said in disappointment,

"The other one got away."

"Bullshit," she said. "They don't get away. They just stall their capture. We always get them." Fangmeyer took a quick glance at Nick. He watched the two officers from his window, still shaken. The goat in her paws kept his head low. Nick scowled at him. Fangmeyer shoved the goat into the mighty arms of McHorn.

"I'll have a sit with him. Go and check on the victim," he said. With the goat in hand, McHorn marched back to the car reading the goat his rights.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say..." Fangmeyer turned her soft blue eyes toward Nick. She had calmed considerably from the short sprint. His ears remained back and his tail clung tightly to one leg.

"Are you Nick Wilde?"

"Yes," he replied with a hard edge to his voice.

"We're here because a fellow officer was concerned about you. She has good instinct."

"Judy?" Nick's ears perked. He looked at the wolf surprised. She smiled and tilted her head affirmatively.

"Bingo." Nick motioned to say something but prevented himself from doing so. Fangmeyer edged just a little closer until she rested her arms on the windows edge, sneaking a look inside the truck. Nick took a cautious step back. Having just been assaulted, he was understandably uncomfortable being in such close proximity to another stranger in the night. Uniform or not. Fangmeyer smiled naturally at him, not needing to force pleasantries. There was something cute about his pitiful state.

"My partner is Officer Mchorn. I'm Officer Jennifer Fangmeyer. Why don't you come on out? Or perhaps, can I go inside?" Nick shook his head uncertain. She could see he wanted some kind of support but was wrestling an internal battle she did not understand. And respectfully, she remained quiet and patient, allowing him room to work out his thoughts and emotions.

"Hold on..." Nick walked to the back and opened up the door. Fangmeyer gently approached as Nick stood by the opening with sad eyes.

"They tore up my truck. I have burn marks on my legs and tail from being dragged over my stove. I was robbed."

"Yeah, you're looking pretty banged up. Not just emotionally,"

Fangmeyer plainly observed. His fur was roughed up and dirty and he made ginger movements indicating pain on several parts of his body. He sulked as he slid his back down the wall of his truck, tail placed in his lap. Fangmeyer placed her hands on her hips with a smile and asked,

"Why would these goats want to harass such a handsome fox?" Nick froze, unsure of what to tell her. He stared helplessly at her and winced, holding more emotion than he could handle. Sensing him about to pop, Fangmeyer leaned in and pulled him in for a hug. "It's alright. Just take your time." Nick wet her uniform with frustrated tears. She pressed his head against her soft breasts. He responded by shakily wrapping his arms around her. Fangmeyer's ears perked curiously when she heard him giggle through his tears. She gave a gentle pat on his back then created some distance to look at him.

"Judy was worried about you and called us over. She said there were some things going on that needed attention. But she wouldn't elaborate any further." She focused his gaze on him, trying to read his expression as she pried ever so gingerly for information. After a solemn sigh he said,

"I'm afraid I don't know what to say. I told her everything I know already."

Fangmeyer nodded.

"There is always a trail to follow. Whatever the reasons for the activity tonight. We'll find out what." Nick tensed up. Not for long, but it was enough that Fangmeyer caught the motion and made a mental note of it. Was he merely concerned for his safety is there more here that she does not see? She couldn't stop her thoughts from going back to Judy's desperation. Nick broke her chain of thoughts,

"I just want to close up shop for the night and get out of here."

"Where do you live?"

"1955 Cypress Grove." Nick glanced at McHorn in the car, prompting Fangmeyer to turn her head. He waited patiently for her to return to the car so they could take the goat to the station. Fangmeyer shook her head."No home just yet. You should seek medical treatment tonight for your injuries. Is there anyone that you would like to call so that you are not alone?"

Nick groaned. He paced in place and stared at the floor and stifled a whimper. He then said,

"I know who I can call. I won't be alone."

"Great. Tomorrow, I'll see about either Judy or myself passing by your place to check up on you, hmm? How's that?" she tilted her head at him. Nick shook his head,

"I think I'll be alright. But if you see Judy, tell her thank you. For thinking of me."

"Oh, I will," Fangmeyer whined /sympathetically. She shook his paw and gave him a stern friendly look, chilling him with her eyes.

"And tell Judy to not give up on me. She will know what I mean."

"Maybe in time I can understand what you mean as well. I'll pass the message, don't worry." Fangmeyer walked back to McHorn and noticed him on the phone. He was probably calling for an ambulance as was standard procedure. When she got into the car, McHorn said,

"I sent out an alert to nearby patrols about the other suspect on the loose." Fangmeyer jumped in her seat when a loud voice from the back yelled, "You slacks can't catch my boy."

"Do you mind?" Fangmeyer glared at the goat sitting cuffed in the backseat of their police car.

"Yes, I do. This is business and it needs to be done right."

"Tell that to the fine folks at the station," she said.

"Nothing to tell. I'm not giving up nobody for nothing."

"Yeah, and I bet you 'didn't do nothing' either," mocked McHorn. Eventually, their suspect quieted down. But to avoid interruptions, Fangmeyer spoke softly,

"So, what do you think is up with Judy?"

"She looked pretty worried to me."

"Tell me about it. And then we just arrive to catch Nick being attacked. She knows something..."

"She said she will tell us. All we can do right now is take care of our load in the back. One thing at a time, Jennifer." A sudden thought struck Fangmeyer,

"Oh, shoot."

"What is it?"

"I was thinking about contacting Judy but I don't have her info."

"It can wait until later." Fangmeyer shrugged.

"I guess so. I just wanted to fill her in on what just happened."

"I know. But maybe we'll catch her at the station. We all have to go there anyway." Fangmeyer blushed, embarrassed by her own forgetfulness.

"Of course. Thanks, Mick."

There was a high level of chatter coming from their police radio. Sirens from fire trucks and ambulances wailed with urgency through the dark streets of Zootopia. Horns honked frantically back and forth as the many service-mammals that helped keep the city safe and functional worked tirelessly through the lamp lit darkness. To the many safe mammals resting in their beds, or the nocturnal ones that roamed the streets oblivious to the perils of others, the sounds were nothing more than night ambiance. A product of city life that became such an integral part of the landscape, for better or worse.


	16. Unusual Behavior

Judy apprehensively approached Chief Bogo's office. The words, "See me, now!" were still open on her phone. She closed the text alert then placed her phone back in her pocket and stared at the emblazoned name-plate in its slot. She then looked at the blurred window in the door. The shutters were down. She closed her eyes and steeled her nerves with slow deep breaths. Finally, she entered.

Chief Bogo looked up at her with a scowl from his seat. He tapped a pen on a clipboard as she meekly entered. To her left, in an occupied chair sat Delgato.

"Close the door and have a seat, Ms. Hopps..."

 _Uh oh. Ms. Hopps? Not officer? Am I being fired?_  She clenched her fists and pressed her paws into the ground, focusing on the sensations of her body to distract her from her anxiety. Judy shakily took a seat next to Delgato. Chief Bogo rested his chin on the knuckles of his folded hands. The tension between them was obvious to their chief.

"Now that we are all present I can hear both sides of this debacle." He looked at both of them, flustered. Delgato kept his posture straight, but he too struggled under the weight of the Chief's scrutiny. With a deep sigh, Chief Bogo began,

"I say this to both of you, equally. We are a team. We are police officers. Whatever rivalry we have going on here, I will have none of it! There is only one side I stand on. And that is on the side of the law. The rules. Protocol. As do you two. That is how we remain fair. And it is how I survived for as long as I have." He placed an open hand to his chest. "Now, if my words are clear, I just want a simple yes from you both." Hopps and Delgato glanced at each other, then back at the chief. He leaned forward in his seat, imposing his size over them as he said, "Am I understood so far?" They mumbled, "yes" under their breaths, keeping their heads low. Bogo turned his attention to Judy,

"Officer Hopps, I sent you to collect information on a case. But the person you went to question proved to be unexpectedly violent is that right?" Judy, ears low, looked up at Chief Bogo and said,

"What? N-no...that's not..."

"Did Nick Wilde not assault you when you questioned him?" Judy's heart sank. For all the bitterness and angst, Nick Wilde was not a violent offender and she found herself taking offense to the accusation on his behalf.

"No, sir. Nick did not in any way assault me."

"Then why was Delgato there trying to arrest him? He said when he tried to protect you, you interfered with standard police procedure and prevented him from doing his duty. Why?"

"It's a lie! He just showed up out of the blue and jumped in during my questioning." Hopps ears twitched toward Delgato as she heard the lion nervously clearing his throat.

"Chief, Sir, she told me that I didn't know what I was doing and pushed me out of the way to cuff him herself."

"That's a lie!" Bogo held up a large hand, demanding silence.

"Where is Nick now? Why hasn't he been brought into the station, Hopps?" Judy's words were jammed in her mouth. The importance of every word she tried to say swelled and competed for supremacy. Judy did not anticipate Delgato playing this angle. He was crafty. She quickly thought through two options: Tell the truth and let things fall where they may. At least she would see where things would go and could brace herself for any potential fallout, which there would be. Or lie and stick to her guns. But in doing so, Delgato would gain even more leverage than he was already building for himself. With a twitching nose and clenched fists, Judy said,

"I let him go because he is innocent!" Delgato smirked.

"Then why did you cuff him at all? Why go through the trouble of pretending to arrest an 'innocent' fox? Why did you select Nick, of all foxes, to question about the theft at the docks? Do you suspect him of being involved? Is he a co-conspirator?" Judy sat cold, overwhelmed by Chief Bogo's questioning. She glanced once more at Delgato, noting his smirk then felt herself shrinking. Her voice began to lose composure. But a thought hit Judy,

"The only person I trust in the ZPD is Chief Bogo...and you."

"Jack..."

"What was that?" The Chief's ears flicked. Willing to bet on the fairness of Chief Bogo, Judy strengthened her voice and said,

"Chief, I arrested Nick because he started behaving erratically when Delgato arrived at the truck. I was not informed of anyone coming with me to the stall. When I approached Nick, things were calm. It was supposed to be only me and Nick. Things went off the rails when he showed up!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the lion.

"Oh give it a rest!" shouted Delgato. Chief Bogo turned to him and said,

"Shut your face! Can you tell me more about why Nick's behavior changed?"

"Yes," said Judy, feeling encouraged, "When Nick saw Delgato approach, he panicked and tried to shove me away from the truck, as if afraid of being seen talking to me. When I noticed him on the verge of full-blown panic, I handcuffed Nick. I walked him away to calm him down. Away from Delgato. When we were alone..." Judy froze. What if confessing put Nick's life in danger? What would happen to Nick if she revealed the truth? What does Delgato know? Would Big go after Nick? Just like that, all the momentum she built in her defense fell away.

"I...I..." Her eyes moistened and her breaths cut short. For some reason, she couldn't incriminate Nick. He wasn't innocent, she knew this. But he wasn't the source of the problem. She realized at this moment that she didn't have the heart to crush what little good she saw in him. She feared becoming another source of anguish for the unlucky Nick Wilde.

Delgato sighed in relief. But Judy knew her words were already out there. And she believed in her Chief, just as Jack did. The Chief glared at Delgato with enough sharpness to make him squirm under his gaze.

"Here is what I am going to do..." Judy fought her panicked breaths and perked her ears up attentively. Delgato listened cautiously as Chief Bogo spoke.

"I will question Nick myself. Delgato, you will return to Nick tomorrow and bring him in for questioning. Officer Hopps, I am giving you a two-day suspension for your failure to do your duty and for interfering with the duty of a fellow officer. I do not want to see you here tomorrow or the day after. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes..." Judy lowered her head. Her vision blurry with frustrated tears. She hated herself for her emotional display. But Bogo's decision to suspend her left a dull ache in her chest.

"Maybe you would benefit from the rest," said the Chief with a hint of concern in his voice. "Dismissed." They both rose from their seats. "Not you, Delgato. Sit down." The chief flailed his arms at the lion. Delgato pursed his lips and sat back down as Judy slumped out of the office. She slowly closed the door behind her. Chief Bogo let silence fill the room for a moment as he thought about what Judy had said.

"Delgato, why were you at Nick's stall? You weren't stationed in the area. How did you end up over there?"

"I just happened to wander off from where I was supposed to be. Then I got hungry. But when I saw Judy arguing with Nick, I stepped in."

"And you don't know how they started fighting, exactly?"

"No, sir."

"Why did you let that tiny bunny cop walk all over you anyway? Judy isn't the only one who failed here. Though from what I gather, she may have made things worse. You too failed to bring in Nick for questioning. What made you bail?" A wide-eyed Delgato shakily exhaled and said,

"I lost my temper. I screwed up and walked away furious because of how she was acting. She was being difficult. When I turned back to the stall, she had already walked away with him. So I just let it go. Then I decided to come here to tell you what happened." The Chief spread his arms in an exasperated shrug and shouted,

"We're cops! We deal with difficult people every day! Are you serious?"

Delgato looked away sheepishly. Chief Bogo leaned back into his seat. He shook his head uncertain.

"This is such unusual behavior. Tomorrow, you and a partner I assign to you will go and bring Nick in for questioning. Judy, for all her quirks and annoying tenacity, is a good officer. If she suspects Nick of the theft in the Rainforest District, I want him here immediately. I want no spectacle made of this. Understand?" Delgato nodded and scowled. It shouldn't have gotten this far. Judy had ruined everything. All he wanted to do was collect payment for Big. But all this noise will draw attention from the shrew. The thought filled him with dread.

"Yes, Sir. I believe he may be the right suspect as well, actually. But may I ask one thing?" Bogo raised an annoyed brow at Delgato. When the Chief said nothing, Delgato asked, "Who will be my partner?"

"Someone other than Grizzoli. That is all you need to know. And don't think I've forgotten about how you and Grizzoli failed to get Finnick convicted. Yes, I'm still sore about that case. Dismissed!"

"Bu-"

"Get out of my office and goodnight, Officer Delgato." Delgato swiftly stood up from his seat and marched out of the office. Chief Bogo ran his hands across his wide muzzle. He scribbled some notes down onto his clipboard and placed it into a desk drawer. In the silence of his office, as officers outside went about their business, a tired Bogo waited for the night replacement chief, Edgar, an opossum.

Judy put away her uniform and dressed in civilian clothes. She left the ZPD and by the entrance, saw McHorn and Fangmeyer approaching with a suspect. With a mischievous smile, McHorn tossed the cuffed perp to Fangmeyer.

"Your turn." He stumbled into Fangmeyer's arms and shouted,

"Watch it, fool." She caught the perpetrator and bantered back at McHorn before turning to Judy.

"Hey, Nick says 'thank you for thinking about him' and 'he will try to do better.'" Judy nodded appreciatively to Fangmeyer as she walked into the department, unwilling to chat while holding the goat in her paws. McHorn's massive bulk filled Judy's vision, She looked up at the imposing rhino.

"Wow, you're looking pretty down."

"I just got some bad news from our lovely Chief." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry to make it worse but I have some news about Nick." She loudly asked,

"Is he alright? What happened?" McHorn placed a calm large hand on Judy's right shoulder,

"He is alright but that goat we brought in attacked him. We're going to find out why real soon." Judy gasped and lowered her gaze. She scowled then growled,

"Delgato did this..."

"Delgato?" McHorn gave Judy a skeptical look.

"He showed up at Nick's stall and interrupted my investigation. Things spiraled out of control from there. When I saw you and Fang, I just had to ask for your help. Please, I know what I saw. Delgato is crooked. I know it. Nick confided in me." McHorn raised his head in thought and inhaled deep.

"Alright. We'll make time to talk about this soon. Don't spare any details. And don't worry, I'll keep this quiet. Well, me and Fang. She's my partner after all." Judy smiled and lowered her gaze. With a calming breath, she said,

"Thanks. For everything. It's encouraging to know that I'm not alone." McHorn smiled and looked up into the department. He stared for a moment at the large ornamental ZPD sculpture that hung over the door to the entrance, then he looked back at Judy.

"Anytime, Hopps."


	17. Delgato: Questions

Savanna Central grumbled itself into consciousness in the mid-morning hours. Delgato, dry-eyed and with little sleep sat up in his bed. His six-year-old boy called out excitedly,

"Daddy! I want tuna and eggs please!" The young lion cub jumped on the bed and tackled his father. Delgato fell backward as they wrapped their arms around each other in a familiar routine morning embrace.

"Arf! Alright, Gerard. Just give me a minute." Gerard squeezed his dad into life then wandered into the kitchen to tell his aunt that her brother was awake. "Why do boys have so much energy?" Delgato shook his head, fond of the morning moment. The touch and cries of his son always soothed away the anxiety in his mind, if only for a second. But it was a second of rest away from the toxic thoughts that otherwise held their death grip on Delgato's consciousness.

He pulled himself out of bed, tossing the thin blue blanket aside. It was just past six. With time short and not wanting to draw even more negative attention from Chief Bogo his way, Delgato quickly made breakfast for himself and his son, thanked his sister Marian, for being such a great babysitter while he worked, and headed out the door.

Today, Marian had tennis practice. Thanks to Big rewarding Delgato for protecting Finnick from conviction, Big had gifted his family with a hefty sum of cash. And with it, Delgato offered to pay for her tennis lessons. Gerard got a new game console, The Z-station, and school supplies. But the thought of it only made Delgato ill. He had just signed away his freedom. But how could he refuse? Big gave his family a kind of tax-free financial security that his normal job could not supply. But the expectations from Big were becoming direr.

Knowing the events of last night were only going to fester and get worse, so long as he had both Big and Bogo to worry about, Delgato fearfully ventured to the ZPD. He texted Grizzoli after his meeting with Chief Bogo last night to alert him of what happened. Grizzoli had not responded and the silence kept Delgato up for hours with frantic thoughts of the hellish ways he would meet his end if he did not retrieve Big's money. The shrew was reputed to be the most vicious predator to exist. And he would do anything to avoid finding out why.

He passed through the entrance of the ZPD and through the metal detectors stationed just through the main doors. He flashed his ID to Sergeant Clawhauser who, for the first hour of the day was in charge of scanning officers coming in for work. Clawhauser winced when he saw the harried Delgato.

"Good morning Delgato. Rough night?" Clawhauser softly smiled at the lion. Delgato met Clawhauser's gaze with a grief-stricken face. He was busy thinking up creative ways to call Clawhauser a "Fat fuck," but the only words to come out of Delgato's mouth was,

"Don't worry about it. Thanks." Clawhauser shook his head and tsked with concern.

"I hope you have a better day today. You're a good cop." The polite cheetah had no idea just how awful his timing was in paying Delgato such compliments. Delgato had lied to his Chief, a good captain. Strong and ethical. Fair but strict. He let himself become one of Big's errand boys. And in the middle of this, has spat on his oath as an officer and now bullied other mammals with extortion and helped create counterfeit licenses. No, he was not a good cop. And if anyone dared to tell him he was a good cop, he would gladly scratch their eyes out.

The ache of failure sat in the driver's seat of his mind. It rotted his mind and his heart. He had failed his fellow officers, failed his family by allowing Big to charm them with gifts and special "services." And now, Delgato fails the very mammals he was employed to protect.

He had twenty-five minutes to spare before he was expected at the bullpen. When Delgato remembered that Fangmeyer walked into the station last night with one of the two goats sent to Nick's stall, he hurried to the holding cells for answers. Avoiding as many officers as he could, he nervously glanced at the time on his phone once more and hoped that the captured goat was still in one of the holding cells. At most, there was a 48 hour holding period before the goat would have to be charged with a crime or released.

Slipping down the left hall of the ZPD, Delgato walked past a protected billboard riddled with papers tacked on. Notices, rule changes, missing persons and wanted people of interest all stuck to the board in a disorganized fashion. He pushed through a solid set of double-doors and into the holding facility at the back end of the station. The goat was on his right just three cells down. He was entertaining himself with push-ups and bragging to nobody. His braided beard brushed the floor on each fall and his horns like dangerous spikes on some strange mechanism, moved up and down with his workout.

"Hey. What happened?" said Delgato. With a huff, the goat jumped up,

"Shit. Now you show up." He rested his arms on his hips and tilted his head at Delgato.

"I don't have a lot of time. What happened, Ropes?" Ropes sucked his teeth,

"Me and my bro were in the stall searching the place, then that bitch showed up. You said he was being taken to jail."

"Another cop got involved, Judy Hopps. She lied to me. He wasn't supposed to come back."

"He did and when he panicked after seein' us in the stall, Flares pulled him into the truck an' whooped him." Delgato went wide-eyed with disbelief,

"You assaulted him?" He slammed his paws into the door of the cell, shaking it.

"Yo! Easy. The little bitch didn't fight back. It wasn't a problem." Delgato ran his nails through his mane and paced back and forth to the outer boundaries of Ropes' cell.

"That fox is a fence for Big. He was only to be scared for the money, not attacked. Where is the money?"

"Oh, Flares got it. He even searched the fox too while I held him out the window. Flares dug into his pockets and went through his boxes. But I don't know where he is 'cause the cops showed up too fast." Delgato clenched his jaw and glared at Ropes,

"You don't know where Flares went with the money?"

"No. We didn't have time to settle on a meetup spot after, not with police right down the block. Dumbass." He scoffed and stormed out of the holding cells, unable to further tolerate the ostentatious goat.

Yet another nail in the coffin. Delgato had two minutes to make it to the Bullpen. He jogged his way over and with trepidation, opened the door and entered. Chief Bogo was already up front, blocking the whiteboard with his large bulky frame, shuffling his work papers. Delgato glossed over the buffalo up front then turned to walk to his seat in silence, thankful that Judy Hopps was not present today.

He timidly waved to Grizzoli who sat in the corner. Grizzoli scowled and shook his head. He bit the air with his teeth, baring them at Delgato. Unfortunately, the meaning behind the response was lost on him.

The Chief graciously ignored commenting on Delgato's harried appearance and simply extended a courteous,

"Good morning." With barely an audible utterance, Delgato said,

"G-good morning, Sir." His tail hung limp and his once proud brow now wrinkled with the fright of a mammal facing a sentence of unknown torture and humiliation.

Chief Bogo's ears flicked and he softly snorted, jumping into the morning routine,

"It looks like we are all on time today. I wouldn't expect anything less..." The Chief adjusted the small glasses on his muzzle and went through the list as usual. Delgato watched as officers, mostly in pairs, walked up to the front and snatched up a case file - if one was necessary - and headed out for the day. When Grizzoli was called, he slowly walked up to the front, swiftly glancing at Delgato. He quietly uttered,

"BBL tonight."

"Yes," replied Delgato. Then he was gone. The BBL was Big's Bar and Limo. Delgato figured Grizzoli would have wanted to meet him at the club in Tundratown. The despairing lion sat alone in the bullpen. All the other officers were off to their patrol zones. The Chief eyed him and frowned in disappointment. With a sigh, he walked up to Delgato as he trembled in his seat, unaware that he was audibly whimpering.

"You should be worried," Chief Bogo began. "After our meeting last night I got some interesting news." Delgato forced himself to face Bogo. "Officers Fangmeyer and McHorn brought in an obnoxious goat last night. They said that Nick Wilde was attacked. They even went so far as to credit Judy Hopps with warning them of potential threats hovering over Nick; who by the way, is still a possible suspect in our stolen cargo case."

"Oh!" Delgato sighed painfully. The scrutiny of his chief and the many levels of errors he had made last night left him speechless. Chief Bogo lowered his head to Delgato, as he stood over his seat.

"This just gets stranger and more complex. I usually like a mystery, but I can't help shake the feeling that something dirtier than usual is going on. And it breaks my heart to suspect that it might possibly involve one of my officers who despite my berating, I treated as an equal. As family."

 _Family_. There was that word again. It was the word that represented the perverse mammals of Big and his mob. It represented the honorable lot of the ZPD. And it represented the innocent relatives of Delgato; or any other mammal, left at the mercy of an unpredictable shrew.

Kneading his paws, Delgato said,

"Sir, I am just an officer. I have merely failed to do my job and I will accept whatever punishment you have in mind for me."

The chief raised his head, straightening his posture while keeping his gaze focused on Delgato as he tried to keep from squirming in his seat. He forced himself to stare at his chief as he spoke,

"Nick is in Savanna Medical. Fangmeyer and McHorn actually left just before the bullpen briefing to check up on him. But we are going over there as well." Delgato blinked, unsure if he heard right.

"We?"

"Yes." The Chief pulled his badge from his front pocket and a report.

"We have reasonable suspicion that a certain red fox was spotted in the Rainforest District hauling away stolen cargo. So we are going to check in on Mr. Wilde. If he can be released from Savanna Medical, we will take him in for questioning. A witness will be brought in to confirm if it is indeed the same fox." Delgato struggled to breathe. No matter the outcome now, it seemed as if he was going to be exposed and the rapidly approaching fallout would be his unemployment or arrest. In any case, Big would set his sights on the lion and not be satisfied until he was tossed into Big's icebox where he would freeze to death after being shaved and beaten by his massive polar bear guards.

Delgato heard stories about victims that were skinned alive and then tossed down into the vault. Their flesh would be peeled by the bears and they were said to lick up the skin flakes and blood that oozed out from the wounds. Still living, wailing pained lumps of flesh, tossed into the bone-biting cold. Their muscles would freeze to the floor, the walls, whatever was touched. Smaller mammals never lasted a minute. But it was a minute of agony and terror that spat in the face of time.

On trembling legs, Delgato followed Chief Bogo to their patrol jeep. Delgato entered the vehicle and sat shotgun. He stared out the window of the passenger door distressed, like a child in trouble with his parents.


	18. Savanna Medical

Nick stiffly sat up in his hospital bed and groaned. He grumbled at the foul odor of burnt fur and bad food. The three plastic chairs of varied sizes stole the attention of his eyes. Their dull gray color stood out amongst the brighter walls and sterilized furniture in his room. And they were full of visitors. A small corner bathroom, a hygienic wash sink and a table with drawers underneath containing medical supplies provided the nurses and patients with all the basic needs.

"Oh the jokester is up," said Judy.

"I'm trying," said Nick.

He pushed away the titanium arm that held a lamp over his bed. A window overlooking the parking lot of the hospital was set opposite the bathroom door. Nick would have been home before the morning rush had it not been for the two-hour wait in the emergency ward, followed by a sudden allergic reaction to a special soap he was given for his burn wounds. The door opened and Finnick wearily padded into the room. He had been with Nick for a few hours.

He was pleasantly surprised to see his patient room filled to capacity and blinked away the moisture in his eyes. The concern of the officers and his friends was more than anything he had expected to receive from anyone. Judy sat nearest the door, wearing blue denim pants and a blue denim jacket over a pink shirt. It was quite cold in the hospital room. Out of the three officers present, Judy was the only one who came to visit off duty. Although Fangmeyer and McHorn were probably present for official business, He noticed that Fangmeyer's tail wagged when she locked eyes with him.

"It shouldn't be much longer now. You're due for release I think," said Finnick. Nick moved up in his bed to be closer to Judy when she turned to Fangmeyer and McHorn. She began speaking about their history. Judy brought the officers up to speed on everything she has been up to this past month. She talked about her conversation with Jack and passed on all of the information she gathered from him and from the events leading up to Delgato's mysterious appearance. It was quite a tale that left Nick shaking his head. Judy was a wrecking ball. And with a work ethic to match. And what has Nick done during that time? Play complacent in Big's schemes and end up becoming a victim like all the rest. The stark contrast between he and Judy was almost embarrassing by itself. But he was impressed.  _They're really going to try to take down Big..._ During a moment of quiet, Nick curiously asked,

"So who is this Jack? What does he do exactly?" Judy turned to him and said,

"He's the Lead Investigative Official for Zootopian National Affairs." Nick detected a hint of pride in her words.

"That's quite a mouthful," he said.

"LIOZNA for short." Unable to resist the opening Judy left for him, Nick impulsively said,

"He's a lasagna?"

"Ba ha ha!" All heads turned in surprise to McHorn who honked with laughter in his seat. "The fox is a riot."

Judy resumed her story and talked about how she met Finnick and Nick, which led to the more serious case at paw involving, yet again, Finnick and Nick. She talked about Big and his connection to all the little street happenings, the possibility of a major plot hovering over Zootopia like a black cloud. All of it. Nick kept quiet, unsure of whether or not to reveal how much he really knew. But the inspiration he felt when listening to Judy's story forced him into an internal conflict.

Finnick scowled and turned his head to hide his face. Knowing Finnick, Nick expected him to use anger as a crutch for his shame.

Knowing everything that Judy has gone through up to this point made Nick give pause to how he has been living this past year. He grimaced and skipped out on any openings to respond to Judy when she spoke to the officers. He did not want to embarrass himself by defending what obviously was illegal activity. Even more awkward was how he felt when looking at Finnick. He knew Finnick had a more favorable opinion of Big. Nick couldn't understand it. But he hoped that after hearing what Judy has told them, Finnick would rethink where he stands.

"Wow, this is getting heavy," mumbled McHorn.

"This is all a mess..." Fangmeyer shook her head. "On one side of this, Nick is a victim. But on the other" — Fangmeyer stood up from her seat and pointed a stern finger at him — "no matter how bad things have been for you, you still can't be excused for your role in the cargo theft." Nick averted his gaze, unable to face Fangmeyer. Finnick crossed his arms and hugged himself, waiting for the officers to finally cut the chat and just arrest them. Everyone's heads turned to the door when it opened. Chief Bogo stepped inside, with Delgato waiting just by the entrance. Judy tightly gripped her seat and looked at Delgato with thinly veiled disgust.

"Morning, officers." The officers present, including the suspended Judy, greeted their chief with a respectful, "Sir." Chief Bogo looked around the room. He let his gaze linger on Nick and Finnick.

"Alright, If you do not have any business here, I would kindly ask that you exit the room momentarily." The Chief eyed Finnick First. He flattened his ears in outrage,

"Whatever you say to Nick, you say in front of me!"

"Finnick, don't be stupid," said Nick.

"Obstruction? I'll be sure to note that in my report if you're thinking of being a problem for me." The Chief puffed out his chest confidently. Finnick lowered his gaze, eyes scanning the tile floor. He grumbled in defeat and stomped out of the room. Before Chief Bogo could address Judy with the same request, she was already heading toward the door behind Finnick, but Chief Bogo stopped her,

"Hang on." He held up an outstretched arm as if to reach for her. Judy turned worried eyes to her Chief. "Hopps, I want to thank you for everything you told me yesterday. And for being a quick thinker and getting McHorn and Fangmeyer on board." Judy's ears raised. The sting of failure which returned in the presence of Bogo suddenly softened at his words. "I need to do better at trusting your judgment. And I hope you return well rested and ready to work."

Nick saw Judy give the buffalo a strange look of relief. Like she was given an answer to some question that had been haunting her. "Thank you, Chief. I'll...go and wait with Finnick." He caught Judy stuck with a widening smile as she walked out of the room. Delgato kept his distance, taking a step back to allow Judy to pass.

McHorn and Fangmeyer stood up. The Chief motioned for them to sit. Chief Bogo cleared his throat as he stood over Nick. Nick shrank under the strong buffalo looming over his bed. He tried to blink away any expression of fear he may have been displaying. Delgato entered the patient room and closed the door. He listened from a distance.

"I am the Chief of police, Bogo. I am here because of an investigation that involves several mammals Including a red fox and a fennec fox. This investigation also includes a shrew." Nick only blinked at the chief. He focused on remaining calm. Bogo continued, "Do you understand so far?"

"Yes, Sir." Nick nodded and dared to offer the Chief a smile. He hoped to rely on his charm to carry him through. He wouldn't be able to think straight if he started to worry. And if he worried, he risked saying something insulting, only increasing the awkwardness of his situation. However, just like Delgato, there was no winning option. If he confessed, he would serve a lengthy jail sentence. And in that time, Big would always know where he would be. It would be easy for someone on the inside of a jail from Big's mob to cause Nick grief. Maybe even end his ill-fortuned life. But if he did walk away from this, he would still be hounded by the overbearing shrew and would continue to find himself on the wrong side of the law more and more because of Big's requests and expectations of him. No matter the choice, the end result was him being a slave to someone or something.

The Chief unexpectedly pointed a finger at Delgato and said,

"Do you recognize this officer?" Delgato's face fell slack with worry. Nick glanced at Delgato then back at Chief Bogo and said,

"No. I can't say that I do. But you do have a fine selection of officers. Top of their class." He looked directly at Fangmeyer before adding, "All of them." Fangmeyer tilted her head curiously. Thanks to what Judy told her, she and McHorn could tell when Nick was lying. But she visibly appreciated the last comment.

"Do you know why I am questioning you about the cargo?"

"No, Sir. I must say I do not know." Nick put in extra effort to keep a friendly, neutral face. The Chief lifted his head up and inhaled deeply,

"Well," he slowly paced around Nick's bed. "When a shipment reaches its destination, a dock worker must sign off stating that the load was received. Given that these products are coming in from other lands, the mayor or assistant mayor must sign off and review the receipt and transfer of such products, along with the Trade Commissioner of Zootopia. Every quarter of the year, a review is done on all the paperwork for cargo moved during that specific time. Signatures are checked, and so on. If everything is in order, the contents could be transferred to a distributor that works with multiple businesses across Zootopia."

He paused and looked at Delgato then at Nick, making sure they were being attentive. Delgato huffed impatiently. He couldn't have Nick arrested. Big would never forgive Delgato for this blunder. And what of himself? Was the Chief onto him or was Bogo just fishing? Testing the waters? The Chief continued, "The investigation involves cargo container 68-CRD. The original paperwork clears the shipment as valid. This container would have gone to a distributor. But the recipient label was changed to show the contents as void, meaning the contents were no longer valid. Void contents get sent back to their country of origin or are discarded on site. This discrepancy is why we are here. Someone tampered with a national product. Product, Mr. Wilde, that we could all benefit from. Not just candy and jewelry. Medical supplies are at risk of theft as well. Supplies necessary for the survival of some of our older and sicker residents." Chief Bogo glared at Nick, whose confidence began to mingle with guilt. For all his wit and charm, Nick never once thought of how his behavior could lead to any serious harm. He blocked that out, only worried about his own survival and his own grudge against the city and its prejudices.

"And in the middle of this tampering, a group of mammals took it upon themselves to raid the cargo as if they were opening a box of gifts!" He nearly growled at Nick. The Chief walked around Nick's bed, moving closer to the door. Nick remained silent, letting the information sink in. He sat in his bed with flattened ears and shoulders heavy with regret. Chief Bogo did not let up. "A shrew, two polar bears, three weasels and two foxes, one red and one fennec. That was the description of the party seen in the Rainforest District that day by a witness on site. And you, Mr. Wilde, fit the description of a red fox. And to see you here with a fennec fox no less..."

"S-Sir," Nick looked up at Bogo fearfully, unable to bear any more of the astute buffalo's scrutiny.

"Speak!" said Bogo.

"I want a lawyer." Delgato slumped his shoulders. Those were the words of a defeated mammal. Nick would be tried and most likely convicted as a co-conspirator. But will Nick dare try to give up Big or will he remain silent? The lion struggled for breath as dread washed over him. No matter the outcome, judgment day for Delgato was fast approaching and he knew it.

Fangmeyer and McHorn stood up awaiting their instruction. The Chief turned to them,

"Go and get Finnick Brone. He will be brought in for questioning as well. Delgato and I will take Nick once we have word that he can be released from the hospital." Chief Bogo looked at Nick with a dour mien.


	19. Divisions

The noises of disgruntled patients filled the main hall in the general care ward. Cries for attention, help, beeping machines and the footsteps of nurses running from room to room all filled Judy's ears with a depressing melody. Some nurses were crunching data on computers in the doctor's hub in the middle of the hall. Finnick sat next to Judy just outside Nick's room. Their backs to the doctor's hub.

"Let me ask you something, Judy," Finnick turned his head curiously and faced her. His ears fanned the air. Judy blinked at him, alert.

"Why are you so involved in all of this? You could be at home in your bed or having yourself a nice breakfast made up of whatever you rabbits eat. Hell, you could be smoking the morning away or whatever you fancy. Instead, you are here sitting with strangers. You don't even work today and you're being all nosy and activist-like. What do you get out of this?"

"Oh!" Judy smiled, seeing an opportunity to inspire, if possible. She cheerily went through her reasons, "I swore an oath as an officer to protect other mammals. It doesn't matter who that mammal is. It is my duty as an officer to protect and aid the vulnerable. And I see Nick as vulnerable. He has had a lot of bad luck. I can't turn away from that. I just can't."

"You're a fool if you think you can fix the world," grumbled Finnick.

"No. I don't think so," Judy confidently retorted. "You just have to try!" Finnick cringed. Judy leaned forward to Finnick as he avoided her gaze. Hoping to keep him following along, with sincerity and gentleness she spoke,

"Finnick, Nick is a good mammal. I've had an...educational conversation with him in my patrol car last night. We may not get along much and he may be holding on to a lot of angst. But I see a mammal that truly loves to be around others. Even if he feels he doesn't get fair treatment, he finds ways to make others smile. I can't let him fall further than he has. Whether it's Nick, you, or anyone else who is in need of support. I can't turn away from the unfairness of it all. It's so easy to see Nick's natural charm. It makes people happy just to see his face! You can't fake that kind of charisma. Nick deserves the opportunity to live free from danger." Finnick lowered his head and choked back a whimper. Judy waited for a response.

"Fuck you, Judy!" snapped Finnick. He stared at the light that squeezed out from under Nick's closed door. Judy jerked back from his outburst. "You can't fix us. We'll always be garbage foxes. You can't fix Zootopia." His voice cracked. Judy crossed her arms, insulted. Before she could respond, Nick's door opened. Fangmeyer and McHorn walked out of the room and approached Finnick. McHorn spoke,

"Finnick Brone, we have to take you in for questioning about a cargo heist in the Rainforest District. A witness reported seeing a fennec fox along with a red fox in the district during the time of the heist. Because you fit the description, you have to come with us." Finnick slumped forward in his seat as the massive McHorn towered over him. McHorn's legs took up most of his view. He then stood up and faced Judy,

"Just let me take the hit. I lost. There's nobody here that can be 'saved.'" He stuck out his tongue. Finnick, still with his back to McHorn and Fangmeyer offered his wrists to the officers. "You cops just do what you gotta do." Judy watched them with drooping ears. As Finnick was being cuffed, he turned to Judy and said in a low but pained voice, "I won't forget what you said about Nick." His brows wrinkled with sadness.

Finnick held still while McHorn cuffed him. This outcome was expected. Still, Judy wished to avoid it. It didn't make the arrest any easier to accept. She wanted to continue believing in the good of Nick and Finnick. She couldn't help feeling like she fell short of her duties. But she couldn't deny they broke serious laws. Before he was taken away, Judy pleaded,

"Just give up Big! We can take him down."

"Not gonna happen," rumbled Finnick as he was being led away. Judy was unsure if his response meant he wasn't going to give up what he knows about Big, or if the ZPD wasn't going to take down Big. But she didn't have the opportunity to press further and ask. They had already left and Judy was distracted by seeing Chief Bogo talk to a doctor just outside of Nick's room. She overheard the doctor say that Nick's health checked out. She expected Nick to be brought in for questioning. Instead of sticking around, Judy decided to leave the depressing hospital ward and go for air. She no longer saw how she could do anything that mattered.

Despite everything, the idea of Finnick and Nick possibly spending a decade behind bars just didn't sit right with Judy. Were they guilty of participating in the heist? Yes. Did they do it willingly or were they coerced into the act by Mr. Big? That question still hung in the air. But from her conversations with Nick and Finnick, she leaned toward the belief that they would never attempt such a heist on their own. The more she thought about Big's manipulation of others, the more she wanted to bring him down. Judy's phone beeped with a text alert:

"Hi, Judy. I hope I could catch you for lunch? I know it is short notice, but I'm free for the next two hours. Would love to chat – Jack"

"Oh!" Judy responded with a wide smile, almost forgetting about her heavy thoughts.

"Meet me in Little Rodentia's Spice café. I could use a shoulder to cry on right now."

* * *

The ride back to the station with Chief Bogo and Nick Wilde was suffocatingly warm. They closely followed behind McHorn and Fangmeyer driving single file down the streets of Savanna Central. Even in the light of day their flashing red white and blue lights played tricks of colors on the many buildings and the furs of many mammals they passed. Delgato looked into the mirror hanging over the dashboard trying to read Nick's expression. The guilty fox avoided any form of communication with Delgato and it frustrated him. Knowing the impossibility of communicating without incriminating himself, or without further incriminating Nick, Delgato could do nothing but ride with the strict by-the-books Chief Bogo and stay quiet. He fell back into the role of police officer for support.

"Delgato, do you think the shrew mentioned by our anonymous witness is the infamous Mr. Big?" Delgato's shoulders jumped at the question. After a slow intake of breath, he said, "I don't know. There aren't many shrews nor foxes in Zootopia. But I wouldn't make any assumptions."

"I am not assuming anything, Delgato. I'm an officer, not a gossip queen."

"S-sorry, Sir." The Chief smirked,

"Relax. We got a good catch today." He pointed a thumb at Nick. "Maybe we can finally get something to stick on Finnick too."

"Oh," Delgato fidgeted with his fingernails, "hopefully."

The ride couldn't end soon enough. Fangmeyer and McHorn, followed by Chief Bogo and Delgato pulled into headquarters and escorted their suspects into the station for questioning. They were separated and isolated as was standard for interrogations.

Delgato was nosy enough to discover that McHorn had little luck getting Finnick to say much. What little he did say amounted to lies and insults. With the foxes stone-walling as best they could, Delgato's confidence built back up. He trusted Finnick and Nick just enough to believe that they would not throw around Big's name. The Chief ordered Delgato to help file paperwork. Once this task was completed, he was allowed to turn in for the day.

He anxiously raced out of the police department. A message had been burning a hole in his hip pocket since he rode back to the station with Bogo. As he hurried over to Savanna station to get to Tundratown, he read the message on his phone. Before even reaching the train station, the sender's name already chilled his blood like the large cooler fans of the tundra:

"Why, after a day and a half of being late to return to me with payment from my fences, have I not heard from you? Scouts in the city have said they saw you running around a hospital but they couldn't tell what for. If you keep up this silence I'm going to feel disrespected. I want my money, I want answers. Do you know what it's like to try to scratch your ass without nails? You're dangerously close to finding out! I like to rip claws from the bones of cats fingers. Oh, the sounds they make! Come clean or come in pieces! - Big."


	20. Cold Silence

By the early evening, Big's Bar and Limo was quite lively. Tendrils of smoke floated through the air from the many tables on the main floor and merged to form a sharp musky cloud smelling synthetically of plants, oils, and sugars. A dispatch center upstairs sat closed off from the noise of the floor. Business as usual. Posh Zootopians across the city from all districts requested limo service from the one legit successful business owned by Big.

A squirrel walked into the club just recently. He slowly walked from the entrance to the bar, glancing at the visitors that sat in small groups on the circled tables on the floor. He looked ahead and noticed a polar bear sitting with an irritable expression.  _Is that one of Bogo's officers?_  The squirrel got closer and after staring for a moment more, he finally recognized who it was. It was Grizzoli.

Grizzoli knocked back a Red Dragon. A black-cherry vodka beverage with a special ingredient: crushed rock worm. A three-inch long worm with orange scaly skin. The drink itself wasn't very popular but it looked like he was enjoying it despite the apparent grimace he made after another large gulp. He lapped up the unidentifiable mush from the bottom of his glass and closed his eyes, savoring the sour aftertaste.

The squirrel looked around curiously a moment longer before sitting on a stool by the bar, just to the right of Grizzoli. As he waited to be served, he stared up at the station booth upstairs. Large windows allowed the operator inside to peer down onto the main floor as the operator worked behind a long table with phones and notebooks strewn about. Pictures of popular destinations were tacked to the left wall of the booth. But from the squirrel's position, he couldn't make out the locations clearly. The dim blue and orange lights of the bar that painted the gray haze hovering like thunder clouds on the main floor didn't help.

An otter approached him, stealing his attention.

"What are you having today?"

"Just your best beer." He glanced at the casually dressed otter, committed to short responses.

"No food? We may not have many vegetarian options but we do have roasted walnuts and celery. But a few bugs can't hurt a squirrel ya? What's your name?" The squirrel smiled,

"Simon Marr. And no, just one of your better beers is fine, thank you."

"Suit yourself. Call me Steve." Steve turned for one of the 'better beers' in his stock. He settled for a top-shelf brand called, "Sailor's hymn" then slid it across the table.

Simon reached into his left pocket and pulled out a small cylindrical spray bottle. He sprayed the back of his throat, swallowing and holding in a breath. He slowly breathed out with a low hum in his throat. His voice smoothened and increased by half a pitch. Simon stared at the picture on the bottle: A small boat bullied by heavy winds and waves. He could hear the water in his thoughts drowning out the noise of the bar. The cool touch of the bottle only supported his imaginings. For a moment, his nose twitched like it could smell the salty air of the sea. But it was just the condensation on the bottle. The otter repeated a second time before he was noticed by Simon,

"Hey, eight bucks. You alright?" Simon blinked to attention,

"Oh, of course. Sorry." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a $10 bill and handed it to the otter.

 _I should get back out to sea sometime,_  he thought. Once Simon received his change, he thanked the otter then asked,

"Are there any free positions available here?" Steve shook his head and in a hard expression said,

"We're not hiring. Not anymore. Good staff, loyal and smart. No newbies allowed." With a disappointed nod, Simon retreated to the back of the club finding an empty seat amongst the crowd. He observed and listened to the chatter around him, slowly sipping his beer. It was smooth. Creamy. The bitterness of the hops lingered on the taste buds softly while a gentler aroma filled his nose and throat.

_Fantastic..._

Simon hoped to pick up any useful information while sitting in the club. Maybe he could find a chatterbox that would slip some useful info his way in his struggle to get a step ahead of Big. He touched the fur on his neck, pretending to scratch the area. A low pitched whirring sound became audible in his ears. The noises of the room were amplified. He filtered out the muddied chatter and focused one by one on different conversations around the bar and stared at his phone. He discreetly opened up a notepad app and began typing out random sentences of interest he heard from the patrons around him.

"I hear there was supposed to be a meeting in two days with Big," said a weasel.

"It was called off!" his female friend said.

"Seriously? He canceled another one? What's up?"

"He is having some trouble with one of his workers. Time for some discipline."

"Oh geez, another one? Disgraceful."

"Yep. You cross the shrew, you get the box." Simon clenched his jaw, disappointed that he wasn't hearing any solid details about this 'meeting.' Maybe Big would have spilled it all in that meeting. It seemed like Big was trying to set something up but he keeps having setbacks. This just gives Simon and his allies time to prepare and gather more information.  _Just what are you up to, Big?_

A lion stormed into the bar with a panicked expression. Instantly intrigued, Simon sat up from his seat and peered around the mammals present in front of him to listen in. Grizzoli instantly snapped,

"Delgato, you fucked up. Big time. And yes, that pun was intended."

"I know!"

"What happened exactly? Let's go through it again." Delgato rested his paws on his hips and nodded as he spoke slowly,

"Judy Hopps interfered with the collection. I couldn't incriminate myself in front of her."

"So you sent a pair of street punks to do your job. Is that right?"

"They got carried away. And the cops somehow showed up when they were in the middle of getting the money. It was just supposed to be a cover. To make it look like a robbery so that the trail gets thrown off me and Nick. But it all went bad. Nick was attacked and ended up in the hospital. And Flares is hiding out with Big's money. He probably bailed on us, I don't know. And now the Chief has Nick in for questioning!"

"Flares?" Grizzoli looked at Delgato incredulously. "You picked a bunch of retards to do this and now you have to accept the fallout for it. I'm not standing by your side for what comes next. And you got Nick hurt and arrested. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Please, you got–" Grizzoli shook his head impatiently,

"I gotta make sure I stay on Big's good side as well. Sorry, you're on your own, kitty cat." Grizzoli brushed past Delgato with a hard shoulder bump.

Intrigued by the information and inwardly pleased with the misfortune of some of Big's henchmammals, Simon made note of what he heard and texted his discovery to Judy. He warned her about Grizzoli and confirmed their dinner arrangement for next week.

Before hurrying his way to Big's Bar and Limo as Simon Marr, Jack was with Judy at the spice café talking about her adventure the previous night and her trip to the hospital the following morning. From the earlier conversation with Judy, He was familiar with some of what he just heard from the corrupt officers. But to hear everything and more that Judy said confirmed through Delgato and Grizzoli only strengthened his confidence in Judy and himself. And to hear the reasons laid out in full helped him paint a better picture of what has been happening.

Lunch went exceptionally well. Cheering Judy up after her depressing hospital visit rewarded him with a second date that preoccupied his thoughts, even while he turned his attention to more pressing matters. The squirrel disguise was beginning to become uncomfortably warm and his body was making its discomfort known by shortening his breaths. Jack hurried to the bathroom to cool off and keep from becoming disoriented.

* * *

Delgato stood alone in the bar and whimpered. Grizzoli had abandoned him. He read Big's message again in an attempt to numb himself to the threats. He still avoided responding to Big but he planned to reach out once he built up enough nerve to face the shrew. But if he was going to find some source of encouragement he had to locate Flares. He stormed out of the bar determined to find the goat while having no clue where to begin.


	21. Brutality

_"...the shrew is the most vicious predator to ever exist."_

Big stood over his grandmother's grave in the Resting Gardens; a cemetery in Little Rodentia. Though many other mammals would have found the temperate climate quite comfortable, Big was overheating. Shrews were not meant for such warm weather, and his suit was not helping matters. Big persevered and stood with a bowed head and folded hands. Frieda placed a hand on his shoulder. He did not physically acknowledge her touch, but he spoke to her while preoccupied with other thoughts.

"Sweetpea, daddy's going to have to discipline an unruly family of lions." Frieda whined,

"I know you've been upset recently. And it always worries me to see you upset." Big turned his gaze away from the grave to look at Frieda and responded by grabbing her hands. Their thin pink fingers locked together. She faintly smiled. "It's time for a real punishment huh?" Big looked again at the headstone marking the grave of his grandmother.

"Yes, it is. I came here to reflect on my grandmama as I do before I make such a decision. Once I decide to go through with these unpleasant acts, I always pay a trip here first. This is not my typical discipline. This will have to be...special." Frieda crossed her arms and put a steps distance between her and Big.

"Can I be a part of it?" she asked. Big frowned as he thought about her request. Though she was not unfamiliar with his punishments, he wondered if she could handle what he had in mind. Upon realizing she was staring at him seriously, he said,

"Yes. I'd like you to see you try. Show me what we can do together."

Frieda smiled and looked at the grave. A sudden thick thud of footsteps echoed behind Big. Big and his daughter turned to find Grizzoli and Kevin standing in front of them.

"What's this?" He stared in surprise. The bears respectfully kept three feet of distance between them and the shrews. Big noticed that Grizzoli wore his police uniform. He concealed his impatience and offered up his right arm. The bears took turns kissing Big's crescent ring. Grizzoli looked up at Big while he bowed and kissed the ring as if waiting for permission to speak. Kevin had taken a step back, making it clear he had little to say. Big nodded silently to Grizzoli.

"Father Big," he began, "I have news concerning Nick and Delgato." The timing couldn't have been more improper. Big imagined himself back-handing the bear for disrupting him in the cemetery. But he was far more outraged at the confusing silence and failure of Delgato. Big's voice rumbled in a low growl,

"If you must come to me here of all places, and disrupt my sacred thoughts, it better be ground-shakingly urgent, Grizzoli." Grizzoli nodded. A stunned shaky breath confirmed Big's words have sunk in.

"Delgato spoke with me at BBL last night. He confessed to me everything that happened." Big turned to his daughter. He contemplated letting her stay for the chat. After a pause, he scowled and said,

"Honey, go get us car service so we can have a ride back to Tundratown. I need to have a chat with my bears." Frieda responded obediently while trodding off,

"Yes, Daddy!" Big stuffed his hands in his pocket, adjusting his stance so he was more relaxed and said,

"Go on in as much detail as necessary." Necessary for Big simply meant everything. Thankfully, he did not have to explain this to Grizzoli.

"Delgato was scared off by an officer that approached Nick's stall to ask Nick questions about an investigation. I don't know what the investigation was, but it caused Delgato to panic and back off from collecting payment. When Delgato was concerned about the officer viewing him suspiciously, he hired street goons to extract the money from Nick and give it to him. The initial idea was to make it look like a robbery, but even this went wrong. More officers showed up later that night. He ended up losing your money and got Nick hospitalized, then arrested."

'What!?" The shrew's response was as automatic as it was furious. A surge of adrenaline tickled his face. Grizzoli cowered before the outburst and turned his head away. His six-foot frame shrunk where it stood. Grizzoli's response served as a balm that almost instantly soothed Big. To Big, the sight of a muscular polar bear shrinking before a four-foot shrew served as a powerful testament to the authority and respect he commanded, demanded and pummeled out of others.

"This is going to draw even more attention from the authorities and force me to rely on Bellwether yet again for protection. I refuse to remain indebted to her. She doesn't get to lord things over me like she already does with her government position. It is beneath me."

"Yes, Father Big." Big turned to Kevin, his most loyal follower,

"Hey, come on over." The large bear stepped forward and stood over Big like he was a priceless artifact that shouldn't be touched. Big took one final long look at his grandmother's grave. He spoke without facing them,

"I do not want any of you to eat for the rest of the day. We are most certainly entertaining dinner guests tonight. Nobody eats until dinner. And we will have Delgato be our guest of the evening."

"Yes, Father Big," replied the bears in unison. Their simple responses were pleasant and expected. Big faced them and grumbled as he thought about the officers Grizzoli mentioned. "What are the names of the officers who disrupted Delgato's collection?"

"Officer Judy Hopps was one. I believe the other two officers that showed up later were officers Mike McHorn and Jennifer Fangmeyer."

"Yet more meat for the grinder. Their time will come along with everyone else's. Hell, if it all goes right I won't even have to do anything other than what I plan to anyway." Big turned to his right, attracted to the sound of grass crunching beneath his daughter's steps.

"All set," she cheerily said. Big smiled as he admired her black dress and pinned-up hair. Modest yet appealing.

"Honey, we have a change in plans for tonight. I'm going to put in a series of calls, one to Bellwether. I know you like her. We have to remedy a problem as soon as possible. So tonight, I just have one request." He waited for her response. She looked at him seriously then asked,

"What do you need, Daddy?"

"Do not eat until later tonight. No food. We will feast as the shrews do. And hunger will only make our feast that much more enjoyable." Frieda fist pumped the air in barely contained excitement. He never let her participate before in his 'dinner for discipline' events. Big never concealed the details from her though, so he presumed she knew what to expect. Big stood in front of his party and motioned with a hand for them to follow.

"Kevin, contact my gathering squad. The three tigers. I need them to collect Delgato's family. Bring them to my home. Do this right now. Tell them it is urgent and that if they hesitate for even a second, I will tear the stripes from their bodies from head to toe using my nails." Kevin nodded in understanding saying,

"Yes, Father Big." Big watched as Kevin hurried off and reached into his pants pocket for his phone.

"There you go. See how easy that is? I give a command and you follow. It's not complicated!" He smiled when the statement made his daughter giggle. It always pleased him to hear her laugh at his remarks.

They walked back past a few rows of gravestones. The cemetery was divided up by the sizes of mammals. The Resting Gardens had a special corner for mammals under 5 feet. Larger mammals would be placed along the bottom edge of the cemetery while the smaller mammals were buried higher up toward the center of the big hill. Grizzoli hurried to Big's side,

"Mr. Big, I must return to my patrol." Big waved off Grizzoli.

"Fine. Fine. If you see Delgato, stay close to him. Bring him to me tonight."

"Understood."

"Hurry off and put some distance between us. You don't want to be seen next to a 'dangerous criminal' do you?" Grizzoli only shook his head and jogged out of the cemetery.

Big reached for his phone. His head spun with thoughts stressing over how Nick could have been arrested. He wondered if Finnick was targeted as well. Did they say something? Did Nick get into some other trouble?

"How the hell does a fox go from a hospital bed to a prison cell overnight?" he shouted to nobody in particular. Big wondered if he would have to fight the law once again in court. Bellwether could only help him so many times...

There were too many questions and too many people to extract answers from. Annoyed and knowing that taking any course of action would be far more prudent than hours of speculation, he swiped a finger on his touchscreen, scrolling through his contact list.  _I'll get Bellwether out of the way first._

Big and the others made their way out of the Resting Gardens cemetery. A short red limo was waiting for them. Kevin patiently stood in front of the limo as if he was expected to halt the vehicle with a large paw in case it drove off without them. Big entered the car first, followed by his daughter, then Kevin. Big had just hit the call button on Bellwether's number when the colossus of a bear spoke,

"I have reached the gatherers and delivered the message. They are well on their way to the Delgato's."

"Good, Kevin. At least the family will be cooperative. They can be easily disposed of." The voice of Bellwether drew Big's attention to his phone. "Excuse me," he said to Kevin. "Bellwether, it is Big."

"Wonderful! So glad you could call. I was going to tell you that the load of serum you requested is ready for pick up." Big sat up straight, glad for the news.

"Listen, Bellwether I'm having a bit of a problem right now. One of my important fences is under watch by the police. Can you find out what might have happened?" All was quiet in the limo as Big worked through the conversation. Frieda was the most intent of the other three to listen in. Big turned away from her as he listened to Bellwether's response,

"Oh! I actually was alerted earlier today of the cargo mishap. Yes, I'll be submitting a notice to Bogo explaining the mess. Somehow, there was a leak in your...acquisition of the cargo. But don't you worry your pretty little head."

Big gripped the edge of his leather seat tightly enough that his nails cut through its skin. Who would dare squeal on Big?

"I see. So it was the business in the rainforest that attracted attention. Alright, together we'll figure this out. And as always, your business is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Assistant Mayor Bellwether."

"With your ferocity, Mr. Big. I'll be more than an assistant soon enough." Big grit his teeth, thankful that he was talking to her on the phone and not in person.

"Yes, indeed. I'll have Manchas pick up the cases of serum tomorrow."

"Oh, Mr. Big?"

"Yes?"

"In six days time, there will be a little dinner event in Tundratown involving the Mayor and other political candidates. I think it would be the perfect time to set things into motion, don't you? Once you get the serum, you can finally armor your squad; together we will swiftly uproot the powers that be in one night. I will be at the dinner event alongside the mayor to poison his food. He will go into a frenzy and attack the others on his table. Once he is disgraced, I can step in and secure our position in the city. I want you to lead your horde of rage-fueled mammals through the streets. You have your targets, as I have mine."

Big nodded thoughtfully. There was such a length to the following silence that Bellwether attempted to speak up again. "Hel–"

"It will be a busy two weeks for me," interrupted Big. "But I think we can make it work. Zootopia will fall to its knees and my Family will rise to give new life to this swamp of a city." Bellwether cooed over the phone,

"Glad you are on board. I'll do my damage control for this mess over here while you get set up. And we will meet in the middle just before launch day. Good?" Big blinked, staring at the seat occupied by Frieda.

"Yes. Perfect." Big hung up the call. Frieda had been excitedly staring at Big.

"So? What's happening?" Her voice prevented him from mulling over his conversation.

"A lot is happening, sweetheart. And when a lot is happening, it is good to have friends to help. No matter who you are or what level of influence you have. It pays to have friends in the right places."

"Aww, come on, Daddy. Details!" The odd charm to her excitement was a weakness for Big. He smiled and tilted his head fondly.

"I'm having a shipment of potent chemicals come to the house sometime tomorrow. If you come across them in the house, store them in my room and say nothing of it." He stared at her and waited for her to confirm she understood the directions. She bounced up in her seat, grateful for the notice and said,

"You got it! I'll let you know if I see it."

"Good girl." Big reached into a hidden compartment and grabbed a bottle of fizzy ginger beer. He poured himself a glass and leaned back in his seat. His phone beeped with a message from Grizzoli:

"I am with Delgato. We will meet up at the end of our shifts in BBL." Big smiled, satisfied. For once, things were going his way. He quickly responded,

"My gatherer's will follow you and help grab him then. Let me know when."

"Easy enough, Mr. Big. I will get it done." Big leaned back into his seat and avoided conversation with the other passengers. He battled his frantic thoughts, focusing on remaining calm. Depending on others was always stressful. Even with the good news he received, he never wanted to be dependent on others for any reason. It was always just a matter of time before someone disappointed him.

Their ride to Tundratown was just under an hour. The dark tinted windows and the smooth streets leading from Savanna Central to Tundratown lulled the passengers into a sleepy calm. For every moment Big turned his attention away from the ride, he immediately lost track of their whereabouts until he returned his focus to what was beyond his window.

Big exited the car last and stood in the artificial cold just a block away from his home. The driver honked a goodbye then drove off. On a lamp post to his left, Big saw a flier detailing the dinner event Bellwether spoke of. Candidates were promoting the dinner and using it as an opportunity to plug themselves as being actively engaged and concerned with local affairs.

In attendance at the event would be Mayor Lionheart, a Dr. Frank Cunningham, and a few others with less renown. Big imagined his name being on the list and smiled.  _I'll make it so that my name is the only name._ He looked away from the flier to notice that his daughter had led the others up to the house already.

"Oh what, I stop to read a flier and you all assume I'm invisible?" He hurried back to his home to join the group.

"Sorry, Daddy!" Frieda laughed.

"Father Big," Kevin stopped at the gate entrance and bowed his head.

"Yes, Kevin?"

"I have just received a text from the tigers. They are on their way here with the Delgato's."

"Alright. When the tigers get here, they will be sent to meet Grizzoli in case Juan puts up a fight. I want you to do nothing but prepare the vault. I will call you when I need to. Enjoy the privacy." Kevin nodded solemnly then turned his bulky body to walk inside. He lowered his head to avoid hitting the rim of the door frame. Big stood alone inside the vestibule as his daughter and Kevin walked further into the house. He paused to take in the view. There was nothing like home.

He could see the long edge of the kitchen to his right from where he stood. With determined steps, he made his way to the kitchen. Long and spacious counters ate up most of the space on the far wall disrupted only by a fridge in the corner. Embedded into the left side of the counter, just off center was an oval sink. Three cabinet doors were hinged under the counter with equidistant spacing. Inside were neatly stacked tools. At least, they were as neatly organized as they could be for all the shapes and sizes.

Pots and pans took up one cabinet. Larger sharp objects like cleavers and spikes with rubber grips on one end sat in the middle cabinet with saws and clamps. Opposite them in the center was the stove and oven. A large rectangular cutting board that could have doubled as a wooden shield was resting to the left of the stove. He dug into the center cabinet of the long counter and pulled out two saws of varied length, a spike and a pair of clamps. The items were placed on the counter and made to look presentable like he was preparing a show for his guests. He smiled to himself.  _They will do more than see these tools._ As he exited the kitchen, Frieda walked past and toward the door.

The tigers had arrived. Like a good host, Big stickered on a wide smile and waved inside his guests. The three tigers; a group made up of one female and two male, entered first then stepped aside to introduce Marian and Gerard Delgato. Marian walked in keeping Gerard close by her side. She had an uneasy smile.

It took considerable effort to greet them without snarling. Looking at the family reminded him of Juan and his incompetence. It reminded him of the sudden halt to his plans for the week. Any resemblance to Delgato became a blight in his mind. And he planned to make it so that the name no longer existed in corporeal form.

"So glad you two could come by. I'm sorry for the short notice. I just couldn't leave you two out of this special event." Frieda stood by her father's side and took cues from his body language on how to react. "I heard about your tennis lessons and wanted to congratulate you on your journey. I know it can be a tricky sport to master." Marian blinked with surprise,

"Um, sure. Thank you. I didn't know you were a fan of the sport." Big forced a chuckle,

"Well, my limo business picks up all kinds of folks. And we have serviced some athletes on occasion. Consider this a good-luck lunch slash dinner. And hopefully one day, You may ride in one of my limos as you journey to pick up your own trophy." Marian smiled at his suggestion. Big still knew how to hook them.

"Mr. Big. You have such a big house!" Gerard looked around from wall to wall and smiled. He then looked down at the black and white patterned floor and grew dizzy. Big approached the cub and placed a pink hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, it is. Little Gerard. I like my houses big." Big looked at Frieda and gestured with his head toward the tigers. They sat in the main room, lounging and waiting for further instruction. When Frieda saw the motion, she walked over to them as Big spoke. "Frieda, go and see the tigers and the Delgato's upstairs to our nice guest room for a moment." Marian smiled gratefully although still visibly uneasy about the invite.

"Oh, well that's more than we could ask for. You do so much for us, Mr. Big." Big smiled theatrically,

"You flatter me. I only do what is best for everyone." Frieda motioned for their guests to follow her. The three tigers walked behind the Delgato's, sandwiching the lions between Frieda and the tigers as they were guided upstairs. When they began their ascent, the smaller male tiger glanced back to Big as if waiting for a command. Big motioned with his hand, pantomiming a pair of scissors. "Let's make it quick. Both of them." The short tiger paused for a moment as he considered the request. He lingered long enough to fall behind the others that had already reached the second floor. His eyes never left Big. And Big stared back, challenging the tiger to disobey. He eventually nodded, acquiescing to the command.

Satisfied, Big hurried over to the dining room to the right. He skirted past the kitchen and cleared the chairs away from the dining table. It had retractable wheels that folded on the inside of its legs. He unlocked and balanced the wheels one at a time. Above, he heard a brief struggle. There was a scream that barely lasted a second, then all was quiet. All he could feel and hear in the ensuing silence was his heartbeat. Frieda hurried downstairs and called,

"Daddy!" Big scurried over,

"What?"

"It's done," she said. Though her voice sounded oddly cheerful, her face was unreadable. Big nodded,

"Thank you, Sweetpea."

"Welcome," she sighed, then headed back upstairs. Big mumbled to himself, confused by the awkward exchange with his daughter. Maybe she just got a little scared. Or maybe the act bothered her. He made a mental note to talk to her sometime. The trumpet melody going off in his pocket stole his attention away. Big immediately answered his phone while he worked to wheel the table over to the kitchen,

"Yes?"

"Mr. Big, I have Delgato and we are both here in Tundratown at your bar."

"Perfect! I'll send my tigers over. He is to be brought here bound and tied."

"As you command." The call cut. He hurried upstairs and panted. His sudden lack of breath surprised him. He looked at the tigers and chuckled, mildly embarrassed they noticed him winded.

"Age comes for us all. Hah!" The tigers stood outside the door with unreadable expressions. The female had thin streaks of blood on her fingers, indicating she tried to clean them. A noticeable red dot on her chin revealed the cleaning method she preferred. "Nasty business. But when you want to be effective, you can't be squeamish. Now, I need you to go and fetch Delgato at my bar and limo service. Thank you and make haste."

The tigers trodded off, a pitter-patter of footsteps overlapped each other as they walked past Big with only a nod confirming acceptance of their instruction. "Loyal, efficient, deadly and good form. You boys and girls are my best!" he praised. They continued on their way silently.

Big turned toward the room where he expected the bodies to lay. He paused for but a moment with his hand on the handle as he steeled himself to enter. He turned the knob after a breath and pushed it open. It was quiet. Gerard and Marian lay on the bed, heads twisted at unnatural angles. Some blood trickled down from Marian's throat, wetting the blanket she laid on. Gerard was in much better form but just as equally dead.

Big lifted the cub first, being smaller and lighter. He carried the limp child down the stairs and set him into the kitchen next to the saws he placed on the counter.

"Don't ever tell me I don't do dirty work," Big grumbled. The hour wore on and Big and Frieda worked to prepare the bodies in the kitchen. Her earlier discomfort had vanished and she worked at an equal pace with Big to set up the planned feast. They were so lost in the gruesome act of separating organs and limbs that the bell at their door surprised them when it chimed. Big opened a drawer and grabbed a roll of super-tape and stuffed it into his back pocket.

Frieda and Big sped up their preparation of the different body parts, placing them on platters and covering them up. The house smelled of burnt innards and fur, but the metallic odor of liver overwhelmed the other scents.

"I think we're ready now. I'll go and get the door," said Big. He opened to see Grizzoli waiting patiently by the entrance.

"Thank you for not abusing my doorbell, Grizzoli," said Big. The bear only smiled uneasily. Big rubbed his palms together and said, "So. In the car?"

"Yes, Mr. Big." Grizzoli scowled and stepped aside to allow Big to pass. He ignored Grizzoli's mood and locked his eyes on the vehicle out front. It's all just business. There were wrongs that needed to be set right.

"Grizzoli, you may stay or go home."

"I will take my leave." From the corner of his eye, as he focused on the car and tigers, Grizzoli gave a parting bow then walked off of his property. The three tigers stood guard at the trunk of the dusty green car, arms were held by their fronts, paws clasped and legs just narrow of shoulder width apart. Big wagged a finger appreciatively at the tigers,

"Wonderful work. At ease. At ease." Big popped open the trunk containing the most important person of the evening. He stared into the dazed eyes of the lion, dressed in civilian clothes. "Hello, Delgato."

Big grinned at Delgato's panicked squirming. He refused assistance when he grabbed Delgato. He wanted everyone present to see his physical strength; to show that he can handle larger mammals and push them around with his own hands. Delgato became so paralyzed with fear he did not struggle when Big reached out to carry him. Big hauled him up in front of his audience and stumbled a bit before finding his center. He carried the bound lion from the front of his home all the way to the diner. Frieda watched with interest as her father displayed his strength.

The relief when the weight was off of Big was immediate. He exhaled with satisfaction and flexed his back. Small bones popped in place from the stretch. Delgato was thrown into a chair in a corner of the now empty dining room. The table with lion delectables was waiting to be presented. Big dragged a seat opposite Delgato and sat down in front of him. He waited for the lion to pick his head up. Delgato was not gagged, but his ankles and hands were tied. From behind, Big could hear the tigers entering the dining room. Big took out the super-tape from his pocket and pulled a long thick strip of tape. He walked around Delgato's chair, planting the beginning of the strip on the backrest. He went around the chair four times with the tape, pulling up and down, sticking Delgato's torso to the chair.

When he was finished, Big returned to his seat. To any other mammal, Delgato would have made a pitiable sight. Big only looked at him with disappointment, fury, and disgust.

"I must say, I thought you were going to do well with me." Delgato's shaky breaths filled the emptiness of the dining room. Big could feel his daughter sneaking around the corner. Watching. He ignored her. "I was told everything. You got Nick hurt. You hurt my flow of income. You might have put me in the sights of the ZPD once more. Your stupidity has caused me to halt my movements in the city temporarily so I could play damage control. You couldn't figure out how to work around a stupid police officer and then you ignored me when I reached out to you. You disrespected me and my family. I bet you would have run away if I didn't hunt you down, huh?"

Delgato tried to speak, but he could barely put together even broken words over his whimpers. Big glanced behind him, feeling the eyes of the tigers on his back. He noticed that the shortest of the tigers, their leader, was not present. Big shrugged then turned his attention back to Delgato. "I invited you here so you could see your family one last time." Big smiled. "You'll all get to eat together. My treat. But before that, I must know from you personally. Who were the officers that caused you so much trouble?" Delgato responded as if he was reaching for a lifeline.

"J-J-Judy H-Hopps! Mike McHorn and Jennifer Fangmeyer. All of them. They did this! Kill them!" Big parodied an attempt to soothe the lion,

"Shh...shh...It's okay, Juan."

"I'm s-sorry...please sto-" Juan's begging was interrupted by coughing. He quivered in the chair and drooled.

"I did not tell you to beg!" shouted Big. His blood boiled and his ears began to ring. The sides of his vision dimmed as blood rushed to his head. From behind Frieda, the heavy steps of Kevin were heard as he approached, drawn to the shouting. In an almost unnatural growl Big spoke, "After I deal with you, I'm going after the entire police department. I will tear the city down and build it back up. All for me! And I am so close to getting it done. But incompetence like yours pushes me back. I won't tolerate it."

"N-Nick was arrested because of the rainforest job."

"He's an extra income machine. Him and Finnick. I won't lose them. Nor my others. I now have all the armor for my squad. And tomorrow, a special gift is being given to me that will give my family real power. My reign is nigh, Delgato. Unlike you, I won't let the family down."

Big stood up and pressed his nose to Delgato's. He flinched and looked away unable to meet Big's stare. Big licked the tears from Delgato's face.

"Speaking of family, how about we all sit for dinner?" Big turned back to see Frieda react on cue. She hurried to the kitchen and dragged the table back into the diner.

"Where...are they?" Delgato asked. Frieda turned the table round the corner and pushed it back to its original position in the center of the dining room. She winked and walked off.

"Oh, your family?" Big eagerly walked over to the table. He stopped by the closest edge, to one of the smaller platters. Delgato watched with widened eyes and shortening breaths that caught in his throat when he noticed the odd smells and dried streaks of red on the tablecloth. "They're with us. They're tonight's meal!"

Big lifted up the platter to the sound of mournful wails. On the platter were two severed paws. He continued walking up the length of the table, removing more platters and flamboyantly tossed them aside. They crashed to the ground and reverberated over Delgato's horrible cries. Kevin walked up to the table from behind Big. Big turned to him and the tigers and pointed at the table. They nodded and purred while picking pieces from different plates. The heads of Delgato's sister and son were set in the center, facing away from each other. The sight was enough to break Delgato down beyond response.

"Why not have a taste, Delgato?" Big grinned and chewed on unidentifiable flesh.

"Monster!" Big was so enthralled with himself, he continued to rave over Delgato,

"I think by now it is irrefutable that the shrew is the most vicious predator to ever exist. And I wear my brutality with pride!" Big slapped the large Kevin on his back. "Kevin! Ice him!"


	22. Brothers

"Free at last!" Finnick threw his arms up and jumped with excitement. Nick walked beside him and took a moment to appreciate the unusually upbeat fennec fox. Finnick slapped Nick on the arm. "Did you see the look on the Chief's face? He looked like he saw a ghost and was about to cry!"

"I wonder who called the Chief," said Nick.

"Who cares? Not our business anymore! Haha." Regardless, the thought weighed on Nick. It would have taken a miracle for them to be released. Nick dreaded to think that his miracle was Big. But he couldn't shake the feeling. And he couldn't spare a moment to think without his thoughts being interrupted by his friend. "Geez, what's up with you? We're practically immune from persecution now and you're here looking like you're heading into a death sentence. Lighten up. Wuss." Unwilling to back down, Nick threw the thought out there,

"Do you think it was Big that got us out?" Finnick's ears flicked with what Nick hoped was a hint of worry.

"If so, then I know who to stay close to."

"Are you serious?" The words escaped Nick's muzzle before he could filter himself. "After everything that's happened, you want to get even closer to Big? What is the matter with you?"

"Safety! Alright?" Nick flinched as if the response were a punch to his stomach. "Big is safety. Nobody can touch us, Nick."

"I'm genuinely disturbed that you feel this way." Finnick blinked back his own surprise at the remark.

"Why? What the fuck is there to be worried about? Big got our backs. He always will, Nick. And if you want to stay safe, you should think about your allegiance. It's time to pick a side."

Nick breathed in the damp late afternoon air and huffed in frustration. He was unable to coherently respond to Finnick and resorted to an angry grunt as he paced forward. Ahead of the sandy fox. Finnick scurried after him, "Hey, hey! Maybe you're just still a little tense from the close call back there. But you'll get over it."

Nick glared at him. He didn't know how to explain back to Finnick what he was hearing. He wished he could translate and talk sense into his friend. But the stretching gulf between them was becoming painful and more perplexing with every moment they spent in proximity to one another. Ever since Finnick agreed to take Big's rainforest job, Nick held a small grudge. But it was now becoming a wedge between them. "Let's go to a bar to celebrate our release, eh?" The suggestion was perhaps the best idea Finnick could have thrown his way. With a sudden upbeat voice, Nick replied,

"Sure. It's still early. Let's go to The Stream."

"Aww, that rickety place?" Puzzled, Nick defended his suggestion but ended up phrasing it in the form of a question,

"It is within walking distance?"

"I was thinking we could go to a classier joint. BBL in Tundratown."

"Finnick!" Nick threw his arms up, exasperated.

"I'm kidding! We'll go to The Stream. Shit."

Nick shook his head and closed the distance between him and Finnick. He chuckled in disbelief, but the fondness for Finnick, despite the new differences between them was still there. He draped an arm over Finnick's shoulders as they walked together. Finnick responded with an amused chuckle and elbowed Nick in the side.

"Nick..."

"What is it?"

"Thanks for sticking around." Finnick's gratitude provided Nick with a balm of warmth that guarded him against their philosophical differences. Together they walked through the now crowded streets. Even on narrower strips of road, cars were bumper to bumper in Savanna Central.

They separated only to return to their homes and pick up money and a change of clothes. But it was the perfect time to hit the bar. With the 9 to 5 working mammals just getting home, the bar would still be empty enough for them to get ahead of the night crowd. And with the employees tuned up and alert to the coming rush of customers, Nick and Finnick still had a chance to remain ahead of the pack and get proper, immediate service. They agreed to rush from their places and meet up at The Stream as quick as they could.

Before he was released, Nick watched as a male wolf officer opened his cell door and with forced indifference told Nick to, "Go home." Those were the only two words he got. When he retrieved his belongings – taken before he was put in a cell – Nick caught Chief Bogo in the hall holding his phone and staring with disappointment and confusion.

He locked eyes with the Chief. Nick wore a smug smile. But the look of disappointment on Bogo was so intense that it left Nick wondering. He turned his thoughts to Finnick. He imagined seeing Finnick bowing before Big in a suit, kissing the shrew's ring. Then, the disappointment he saw in the Chief of Police was suddenly mirrored within himself. There was much to discuss with the fennec fox. And hopefully, in a more friendly atmosphere, he could find a way to reason Finnick out of his position. But knowing Finnick as he does, Nick was attempting to tackle an impossible mission. Even worse, there were two messsasges from Big sitting on Nick's phone. He did not check them.

Downtown Savanna was a wall of noise. The steps and chatter of mammals, the hissing of machinery, and giant streetside televisions humming brought the district to life. Finnick beat Nick to the bar and was just about to walk in when Nick appeared. With a wave and a smile, he closed the distance to the entrance of The Stream. Its yellow neon sign was complimented by a glass river shaped like the flowing of beer underscoring the name. The sandy double-doors, a match in color with Finnick's fur, was open. Nick stared straight into the back of the dim green interior of the bar to the counter. A female badger was set up.

"The Stream has this new beer called 'Fog Wisp.' Strong stuff," said Nick.

"Yeah, I like that one." They headed inside and blinked to adjust to the dark light. Nick appreciated the simple atmosphere. The interior wasn't drowned out by loud music. People could hear each other talk and make orders. It was a well-managed bar, despite it being on the cheap end. The rasp of a heavy sigh filled Nick's ears. He turned to see Finnick giving him sad puppy eyes.

"Whoa..."

"Nick, what are we going to do about this?" Finnick pointed to them both with one finger. "I'm thinking of going to Big directly and asking for real support. I got a message from him. I bet you got one too, didn't you?"

Nick swayed with discomfort. He sighed and nodded, raising up his phone to show Finnick the messages. One message from Big was asking if he was alright. And the other was Big bragging about how he got the foxes released from jail. If only to keep the brutal shrew satisfied, Nick responded by emphatically thanking him for his support and protection. And Nick offered to gift Big $500. Anything to keep the Shrew at a distance. If he was lucky, this would provide him a month of silence from Big. As they sat down, Nick said,

"There. I sent a little thank-you note to daddy Big."

"You're only doing it to shut him up," grumbled Finnick. Nick let his head fall to the counter. Finnick ordered the beers for them through his rough laughter, taking pleasure from Nick's frustration.

"You know me too well, Finnick."

"After 15 years? Yes." Nick turned his head and watched as the now sideways Finnick began scanning the bar. He jumped straight in his seat with ears up. He hit Nick and said, "Get your damn head off the table. There are some cuties in here tonight. And we're both dressed decently too. For once, you aren't wearing that ugly lime-green shirt." Nick sat up straight and stretched conservatively. He looked in the direction that caught Finnick's interest and spotted a rather cute female fox and rabbit in the corner. They were chatting with other females; one was a tiger and the other, a short brown wolf.

"Don't insult my fashion sense, shorty." The beers were slid across the counter their way. Finnick smirked as he caught his.

"Hmph. I can think of some ladies that like you." Nick looked at Finnick curiously and grabbed his own beer.

"Oh, who would these ladies be?"

"The ones from the ZPD. That Judy likes you. But that wolf in the hospital likes you more. The way her tail was wagging as she stared at you. I thought she was going to jump you on your bed! Hah!"

"Jennifer?"

"First name basis now? Eh he he."

"They've done a lot for me..." Nick Froze.  _Where did that come from?_

"Cops don't care. Maybe Judy does. Maybe. She said a lot of good things about you. But she's a little funny." Finnick reached into his pocket to pay the bartender. His eyes widened when he pulled out a crumpled yellow paper.

"A ticket? When the hell did I–oh..."

Finnick unfolded the crumpled paper with faded scribbled writing. Nick watched as his ears lowered and he went silent. He shifted in his seat awkwardly then pushed the paper across the counter to Nick.

"I think you would find this useful." Nick picked up the crumpled ticket. He read the almost prophetic sentence, 'When you are ready' and asked,

"What is this?"

"That's Judy's number. She came to my shop when I was talking to that striped rabbit and working out a deal."

"Huh..." Nick looked at the number for what seemed like several minutes. His thoughts muffled the sounds of the bar. He did not hear the laughter and chatter of the other customers, nor the sharp clink of glasses. "Time to choose a side," Nick mumbled. With Finnick looking to Big for safety and breaking his heart, Nick wondered if taking Judy's number would be the right choice. He balled up a fist, crushing the paper in his paw. Then he stuffed it into his pocket, giving Finnick a hard stare.

He couldn't hold in his annoyance any further. When he thought about the ZPD and his personal history with the law, he felt conflicted. These past few weeks have been different. And he didn't consider it all bad. When he thought about Big, he only felt dread. And now when he looks at Finnick, he feels disappointment. Nick took a large gulp of his beer then said in a near shout,

"If you get close to Big, I'm putting distance between us. I don't want to keep doing this! It would be nice to sleep with both eyes closed for once." He spun on his stool to face Finnick. The smaller fox listened to Nick's rant with hurt in his eyes. "Maybe Judy will be helpful. I don't know. I don't feel the way I have before. At least, not with how serious things have been getting with Big. Everybody wants me to make a damn commitment to something or someone. And if I have to pick a side, it will never be with Big. At least, that much I know."

Finnick's ears flattened to his head. He grumbled and turned away from Nick. Finnick shouted for another beer. Nick took a moment to steady his breath. The warmth of anger and spent emotion sat under his skin like Sahara Square heat. Finnick's body language tipped Nick off to what he may have thought about his rant. But what Nick heard next halted his contempt toward Finnick.

"No matter what happens," said Finnick in a low voice, "know that I don't value anyone above you, Nick. I never will. You were always the better half. You're family to me. My brother." A silent gasp escaped Nick.

He draped an arm across Finnick's shoulders. Finnick didn't resist. He never resisted Nick's affection up front. For all his threats and exaggerated outbursts, Nick knew they were just for show. Every threat Finnick made to kick, punch, scratch, or bite Nick, was always for naught. And each insult and threat only made Nick smile more. And Nick knew when Finnick smiled because he always turned his head, hiding his expression behind his large ears. But Nick always knew. He could see it just at the last second. His friend's muzzle stretching into a fond smile concealed from the world behind those ridiculous ears.

"What did Judy say about me?" asked Nick in a cracked voice. Shuffling off Nick's arm from his shoulders, Finnick spun on his stool to face him and sighed,

"She thinks you have a big heart that's been beaten up and shat on by life. I'm paraphrasing here. That you like people and always know how to make others smile." Nick didn't respond with words. He instead leaned over the fennec and planted a kiss right between his eyes on the top of his muzzle.

"Hey!" Finnick recoiled and flailed his arms. He slapped Nick on the shoulder repeatedly. "What'd I say about you kissing me? You fruit!"

"Ow! Alright." Nick laughed at him through the stinging in his assaulted shoulder. And as expected, he saw Finnick turn his head in the usual way. A tiny smirk being born on that grumpy face once more. Caught just before it was hidden from view.

"You only had one beer," said Finnick.

"I know. Finnick, thanks for Judy's number. And for what she said." Nick wordlessly pointed to the menu behind the bartender. She glanced in the direction and asked, "The fish and chips?"

"Yes." Customers began to flood into the bar as the evening grew late. Nick teased Finnick into approaching the girls he noticed earlier. But he complained when Nick refused to join him.

"You left your balls in the cell?" Nick only rolled his eyes and ate his food, ignoring the bait. The growing crowd pressured Nick into considering leaving. Not to be outdone by Finnick, who by now had six beers, Nick downed his second then took a third bottle to go. He waved at Finnick as he mingled with the crowd of females. Nick walked up to them only to say,

"Goodbye, Finnick."

"Geez! Don't say that like you'll never see me again." Finnick chuckled uncomfortably. His labored breathing was a sure sign of his drunkenness. Nick looked at the females briefly before turning his attention back to Finnick. He said, "Good luck" then weaved through the crowd of the bar and left to walk home.

* * *

He first stopped by his favorite bridge. A wandering homeless mammal was camped out in the area. Nick didn't mind. The mouse usually kept to himself and never touched anything. But with his reserve of social energy spent, Nick kept himself turned away from the mouse to discourage conversation while he sipped his last bottle of Fog Wisp.

He let the running stream and passing chatter of pedestrians overhead lull him into reflections of these past events. He thought about the goat's attack, Big's message, Fangmeyer, and Judy. Everyone had their own motives. Some were more unclear than others. He found some comfort when he thought about officers Fangmeyer and Hopps. They were honest, had clarity of purpose, and did not come with strings attached. Their kindness was attractive and sorely needed. The more he thought about them and their current absence, the more alone he felt. He glanced at the mouse that had fallen asleep leaning against the desk he set up under the bridge. Nick unsteadily walked over and put a $1 bill into the mouse's shirt and left.

"Just three more blocks and I'll be home..."

"Nick?" Nick's ears perked up. He darted his eyes across the street and noticed a familiar wolf walking towards him.

"Officer Fangmeyer?"

"Just Jennifer. I'm not in uniform today." She carried a large gray shopping bag with her. "Black looks good on you." Suddenly conscious of his appearance, Nick straightened up his posture and smoothed his shirt.

"Oh, I can shine when I need to."

"You look a little tired. And I smell alcohol. Enjoying a night out all of a sudden? Weren't you at the station? What happened?"

"Yeah uh," – he scratched the back of his head – "the Chief had to let me and Finnick go. We were cleared of charges."

"Seriously?" She gave him a quizzical look. Nick averted his gaze, too sore to push the topic. Why couldn't it just go away? "I mean, I'm glad and all, but–"

"But what? I should be in jail. Is that what you think?" Nick hissed, more upset with himself than Jennifer.

"No, I don't know." Jennifer sighed. She dropped the shopping bag and closed the small distance between them. "Hey, look at me." It was a painful request. He hated the shame he felt and thought that was all she could see. He tried not to cringe and squirm under her blue-eyed stare. "Don't take what I say or do personally, Nick. I'm trained to think differently, as an officer. It's a habit. I really am happy to see you walking about. How about I walk you home? My last minute shopping supplies can wait to be stored away." Nick grabbed a paw and stepped into her arms. He stared up at the slightly taller wolf and rested his chin on her breasts. His tail whipped left and right.  _She smells so nice..._

"Please, would you? That'd be nice." Jennifer smiled and ruffled his head with her free paw.

"Sure. Let's get you home."


	23. Hearts Above

_"To audacity. And to bringing order to the chaos."_

Judy fumbled with the clothes in her closet. She searched for something fashionable to wear for her night out with Jack. But when she only saw her rugged unisex style clothing, she grew disheartened.  _The struggles of a farm bunny_ , she thought. After a brief period of sulking, Judy doubled her efforts. She tossed aside something urban she picked up recently; a pair of skinny black pants and a sleeveless top. The shirt hugged her body comfortably, allowing her to show off some curves. It also gave her a chance to show off her arms. But she frowned when thinking about the color. Her pants were black, but the shirt was a light brown. It didn't look like it would compliment her fur much. She shrugged, not wanting to waste time by judging herself. When she was ready, she took one final look in the mirror.

"Eh, it'll do." Mullified, she walked out the door.

She needed to catch the bus and get to the corner of Hook-Hoof avenue and 2nd street. It was the southeasternmost stop on the Savanna Central bus line. Along the way, Judy fidgeted with her clothing. She pulled at the corners of her shirt, unable to be content with its feel or look. She looked down at herself hundreds of times making sure her clothes were clean.

This was a new experience for her. She never felt so serious about another mammal. Not even in her younger teens had she come to feel so self-conscious as she did now. However, the thoughts and somewhat automatic change in her behavior was a welcome distraction from work. Ever since she returned to work she had been busy trying to make up for personal losses. The Chief had softened his approach to her, and she was grateful for the change in attitude. McHorn occasionally spoke with her to stay in the loop regarding Big.

She finally reached her stop. From the window of her seat, Judy could see the low entrance into Sahara Square to the south of her. The border wall was in clear sight. It was an imposing and guarded structure forty feet high and was nearly a dozen feet thick. She stepped off the bus and noticed Jack waiting by the stop.

"Oh, sweet cheeses..." She was stunned by the rush of heat through her body when she approached. He wore a matching outfit of mid-toned speckled reds. His darker red pleather jacket and red pants popped out his gray and black fur. And the image stole her breath. It was almost regal. Jack laughed, noticing her reaction.

"Yeah, you like it." She caught a hint of warm vanilla as he approached.

"Whew! Okay playbuck, where are we going?" Jack gently pulled her close and they walked together in a side embrace.

"Not far. Not far." He pointed up to a white brick structure snuggled up against a taller building. In the corner on the edge of the roof, it looked to Judy as if there was a blank slate hovering in the darkness. A gap that was hidden from the light. Next to that gap appeared to be guarded railing that encircled the roof but excluded the blank slate.

"We are going up there." Judy leaned into Jack, taking in the smells of his clothes and vanilla scented fur.

"What is it?"

"The Sky Lounge. A high-rise bar."

"You really know how to impress."

"I worked for my wealth. So I'm going to enjoy it. It's only worth it because I get to share it with you." Judy punched him in the shoulder and squeaked.

"You are saying all the right things tonight." He rolled the shoulder she hit. She grinned.  _I got him good_.

"I hope I can hear more about what's been going on with you. Did you find anything interesting about Grizzoli or Delgato since we last spoke?" Judy nodded affirmatively.

"I haven't put my time into Grizzoli. I was sure to stay clear of him and made sure to not be obvious about it."

"Mm-hmm, good. Go on..." They approached the entrance to the building. Judy stopped and faced Jack.

Some troubling news did come just before her date. Thinking about Delgato, Judy said,

"Delgato is missing. He hasn't been seen in a few days. The Chief started investigating him. But he discovered that his house was cleaned out. The entire family is gone!" She shook her head dismayed.

"Missing..." Jack turned and looked at the streets. A habit Judy noticed he had whenever he was in deep thought. Like he expected the city to reveal their secrets to him. "Either they fled Zootopia, or they're all dead."

"I hope nobody got hurt. Delgato was crooked, but he doesn't deserve any serious harm."

"Maybe just a punch in the nose?" Jack joked. Judy slapped his chest, "Be serious."

"I'm always serious," Jack grinned. "I'm just really happy to be out with you. You've any idea how hard it is right now to not make dorky honking bunny sounds? Look at our noses they're practically dancing off of our faces." Judy snorted, "Stop it!"

"Heh. Let's go inside." Jack led her into the building. The main lobby seemed unusually quiet and empty to Judy. There was no music nor chatter from any mammals. Surely such a place would have had a line of mammals waiting to be ushered in? Jack directed her to an elevator. When the doors opened, Judy saw a peculiarly dressed figure standing in the corner. The sight of someone babysitting an elevator struck her with a moment of confusion. She shook it off, deciding to admire the attendant's outfit. It had many shiny buttons and a pointed hat that looked eerily similar to the ones traffic cops wore. She walked into the elevator after Jack. Suddenly feeling self-conscious about her outfit, she said,

"I'm dressed like a peasant compared to you."

"You're fine," said Jack dismissively. "Lovely arms." He threw her a grin and playfully groped at her biceps.

When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, a cool draft swept up Judy's legs and coiled around her arms. It was surprisingly breezy up top. But she found it pleasant if a bit cool. Solid glass double doors on the opposite end of the hall were propped open. Jack and Judy walked towards the doors. As they got closer, the entrance of a bar to Judy's left came into her view. The counter was made of a cloudy off-white marble. A well-dressed female cheetah was wiping down the counter and placing bottles back on a rack. The old cheetah turned and approached them.

"Jack, lovely to see you. Finally cashing in that favor, I see." The cheetah turned to Judy. "You are very lucky."

"Oh, I'm starting to think so." Judy, standing on Jack's left, grabbed his paw. She noticed the cheetah had a thick foreign accent. She rolled her r's and said her f's soft as if she were attempting to carefully birth a flame by breathing oxygen into a spark. The old cheetah tilted her head fondly at them.

"Mrs. Tirales, thank you for this. I know this isn't an ordinary request."

"Oh, you paid for it. No problem, dear. Money is money. And with barely anyone here, less clean-up to do. The staff will be at your beck and call whenever needed. The number to dial for food is on the counter. Enjoy your private time together."

The cheetah stood with a dignified posture that Judy envied. Though she was no slouch herself, there was a certain kind of grace to the elder cheetah. Tirales walked past them and entered the elevator. When she was gone, Judy asked,

"Did you rent the entire bar for the night. Just for us?" Jack looked at her with a little bashfulness she found endearing.

"Yes. And now I'm going to be tight on cash for a few weeks. But it pays to have friends. When I was working in the south, I helped a team stop a warlord from recruiting child soldiers. Mrs. Tirales' grandson was one of the children."

"Sweet tulips. You are intense." Judy excitedly walked out onto the rooftop. Small round tables and wiry chairs were set up on either side of the lounge. There were three lines of rails crossed by bars that fenced the area, creating a parapet.

"It wasn't as exciting as you're thinking. I'm just an investigator. I didn't do the heavy lifting the others did. Though I worked with them and trained with them, it was for safety and security. I'm just a glorified detective." Judy walked out and admired the buildings across from her, noting his rare expression of humility. She could see through the spaces between the buildings and looked at the many lights that colored the sky. Her awe of the beauty of Zootopia was disturbed by Jack snaking an arm around her waist from behind. She leaned into him, nose twitching.

The worries of her job began to fade. She giggled when remembering that Jack tended to worry more about things than she did. It was nice for once, to not be the neurotic one.

"Jack, this is nice..."

"Thank you." His voice was warm in her ears. Vulnerable. A sudden beeping noise caught Judy's attention. Jack grunted and looked at his watch.

"I have to go to work..."

"What?" Judy's face drooped in surprise.

"Oh, I can work here. I just have to be on my phone for the next...half hour." He shrugged and sheepishly turned his gaze away from her.

"Oh. Well, can I be nosy? I want to see what mysterious work you do when no one is looking." Jack smiled. He looked out over the railing to the streets below and listened to the sounds of the city.

"Of course you can!. I will be on video for an interview." Judy's ears perked up with an idea.

"Oh! I'll go get us drinks and call for food." Jack affectionately poked her nose with a finger before she left.

* * *

Bellwether held in one hand two multi-colored folders stuffed with papers, large laminate sheets, and several sensitive files. The dinner event in Tundratown had begun. Guests from all districts came to attend the meeting where average citizens across the economic ladder could voice their opinions regarding future plans for the city. She scurried to the opposite end of a square table in Tundra Timber Tower; a two-story diner that catered to the wealthy. Sitting across from her was Mayor Lionheart and his wife, Elaine Lionheart. To her sides were Frank Stone, the meerkat from the MIC, pigs Luana and Lacie, and Dr. Frank Cunningham, a red fox.

She heard of this Dr. Cunningham before. He was a retired surgeon most known for overcoming prejudiced treatment in the medical field. The maligned reputation of foxes and certain other predator species have made his successful career newsworthy in some local gatherings. His eyebrows were beginning to turn gray. And the whiskers on his muzzle were also losing their pigment. The aged fox was stout but even-tempered and soft-spoken.

The Mayor motioned with his paw for Bellwether to hand him the folder. She slid them across the clothed table. He snatched up the folder without a word of thanks and turned his attention to the female pigs.

"I'm telling you, the penguin quarter needs to be restructured because of the population explosion. Their numbers have grown dramatically over the last decade. We still have some space to redraw the borders for our residents without disrupting the neighbors."

"There will always be an expense to others. We can't keep taxing residents every time some new issue pops up."

"If I may," Dr. Cunningham began, "the fear-mongering over taxes is such an old political scare tactic. While taxes can be unfairly balanced against the paychecks of Zootopians, the results of these taxes are beneficial for everybody. If taxes do go to restructuring the penguin quarter, it isn't like other mammals wouldn't be allowed to enter the targeted neighborhoods. The streets of Zootopia are free for everyone to roam. Whenever and wherever they please."

"See? Even the fox agrees with me!" said a proud Lionheart.

"I was merely countering the complaint about taxes. I never said I agreed or disagreed with you," Cunningham retorted. He wore a mischievous smirk on his face. It irked Bellwether.

"Yeah, real free when you have career criminals strangling the districts. Who are you kidding?" said Frank.

Bellwether listened with half interest for a moment longer before excusing herself to go to the restroom. Nobody cared what she thought. She was just a prop and a third arm to Lionheart. Believing this, she was confident in what she was about to do.  _The old Zootopia will fall tonight._ Bellwether muttered to herself,

"Just part of the natural cycle..." Along the way, she passed the service counter bordering the kitchen and slipped a note to a panther chef in the back. She whispered,

"Manchas, you good?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I thought we weren't going to slip you in here. Good. Their orders were already made." Bellwether took a frantic glance back to the table then back to Manchas. "Just read the note." She watched as the panther glanced at the paper that read: "Spike the one red wine. That is Lionheart's." Manchas nodded.

"Understood." Satisfied, Bellwether walked to the restroom.

"Time for a phone call." Everything was going as she had hoped. The Mayor remained oblivious to her scheme. Manchas infiltrated the kitchen along with Woolter. And Big had jeeps full of mammals stationed around the city. They were dressed in customized combat gear and were ready to strike their targets. Bellwether supplied each jeep leader with two dozen needles. An even split of the serum and antidote.

Once Lionheart drank his wine, all Bellwether needed to do was wait for Lionheart to show the first signs of the drug's effects. Afterward, Bellwether would make the final call to Big. She sent Big the first message.

"Everything is ready. The food should be coming out soon. Wait for my call."

* * *

Judy sipped a white rose wine while she listened to Jack instruct the Lead Diplomat in the Southlands. She never heard of rose flavored wine and found it intense but delicious. The aroma of the roses mingled with the alcohol of the wine almost well enough. Judy's ears twitched in confusion when she heard unfamiliar sounds coming from Jack as he spoke into the phone. It took Judy a second to realize he was speaking in another language. As she sat beside him, she let her eyes wander over the genetically blessed hare.  _How did I get so lucky?_

Though the interview was interesting, she began to fidget. She wanted his attention. He really did get absorbed in his work. At least she had a moment to take in the sights. Jack removed his red pleather jacket and placed it on the chair behind him. His brighter red short-sleeved shirt blended with his pants as if they were one piece of clothing. The speckled decoration that broke up the lighter red made him look like he was shrouded in a frozen bloody fog. She no longer noticed the vanilla scent that hovered on Jack's fur. But that was fine. There were too many smells coming from her roasted and sauced vegetables, the wine. And the cool damp evening city air. When he finally cut the call, Judy finished the last bite of her meal and stared with a wide smile.

"So that's what you've been up to? Playing international detective over the internet?"

"Something like that." Jack turned in his chair to face Judy. He gave her an adoring smile. "So, Judy, I never asked you in all our moments together..."

"Yes?"

"Why in the world did you want to become a police officer?" Judy responded enthusiastically,

"To make the world a better place! The excitement. The chance to meet people in need. To be a positive influence." Jack shook his head and smiled. Feeling as if she failed some sort of test, she probed his reaction,

"No?"

"Huh?"

"You're shaking your head."

"You gave me such a simple answer. I expected something more." Fighting back her embarrassment, she pushed against Jack's cold response,

"Hey, you asked."

"Judy. I've seen you. I've read your file. There's more to why you do your job and you know it." Intrigued but still sore, Judy listened with her guard up. Jack bore his gaze into her as he spoke. Maybe it was just the angled features of his face or the way he spoke, but Judy always felt like she could see the gears turning in his head. Like he was dissecting the very essence of another person. But he did it with such a calm demeanor. And Judy thought she could detect a very small bit of wonder when he did so. An innocent passion of some sort. The small smiles he resisted when he spoke, hinted at this. There was no arrogance or maliciousness behind them. Just wonder.

"You certainly have the best intentions for why you do your work. But you do it because you dare to believe you can make a difference. You claim to just want to be a positive influence and make the world better. But how dare you have such an idea." Jack smiled and continued, "You have the audacity to believe that what you do matters. You seek out chaos and disorder because you want to be the remedy to it. You're obsessed with finding things that are wrong and trying to make them right. It makes your heart pound and your lungs desperate for air. You need to bring order to chaos like you need the blood in your veins."

Judy found a haunting accuracy in his words. He articulated her thoughts better than she could think them. It made responding to the analysis difficult because a response seemed unnecessary. She turned away from his beautiful face. Jack placed a gentle paw on hers. She welcomed the contact.

"There is nothing like that rush. S-so, what do you think about it?" asked Judy.

"I love it," said Jack. "I love your voice and your passion. You're always on my mind. I love who you are. And I know it all too well because I have that drive too. We breathe it. Feed off of it. Get high on it. We dare to believe that what we do matters. And we fight with everything we have to make that true."

A rush of energy made her fidget in her seat. His words were an adrenaline rush. When she was with Jack, Judy needed to resist the urge to want to cuff someone. To show off. She secretly begged for something illegal to happen right in front of her while she was in Jack's presence. She wanted to get into the chase. The capture. The arrest. To shout "ZPD. Stop!" To read someone their rights. She saw Jack and stared into a living mirror. He was her passion in physical form. Beautiful, dignified, and relentless.

"Well, Jack how about a toast?"

"A toast? To what?" She lifted up her near empty glass and said, "A toast to audacity." Jack smirked and lifted his own glass, "To audacity. And to bringing order to the chaos."  _Clink!_

With glasses empty, they sat in comfortable silence. The colors of the night sky changed and matched the purple in Judy's eyes. Curious about Jack, Judy asked,

"Who were you seeing, before me?"

"Oh, It was years ago. A female fox." Judy said with surprise, "A fox?"

"Yes. She was a mechanic." Judy chuckled and fiddled with the empty glass. When the waiter approached, she handed them over.

"A predator and a female mechanic. I think I know your type."

"Tomboys."

"Dad doesn't call me 'Jude the dude' for nothing." Judy leaned back in her seat and sighed. She stared up at the clouds and watched them slowly hover by. "I love guys. I love the way they feel they need to be overprotective of someone they care about. I love the way they go above and beyond to impress." Judy gestured with a paw to the bar and winked at Jack. She stared back at the night sky and continued, "I love their bodies. Their clothes. And the way they can be so aggressive yet so gentle all at once. And I love how creative and smart and goofy they can be. I love that a small part of them just never grows up. They know how to have fun." Jack grinned.

"I guess dating you makes me gay."

"Haha!" Judy reached across the table and punched him in the arm. She then ran to the parapet. She looked over the edge, seeing a wide ledge that stretched to the right before it curved the corner. She noticed that blank spot she saw from the streets. A cut out white square nestled in the dark corner of two taller buildings that sheltered the Sky Lounge. Jack slowly walked over to her with a curious look on his face. She jumped over the railing saying,

"Catch me!"

* * *

Bellwether masked her anxiety in silence at the table. The discussion shifted to the oncoming election season. Guests from neighboring tables were asking questions. In all the commotion, it was easy for her to go unnoticed. Dr. Cunningham continued to throw jabs at the Mayor. He was serious. Not that it would matter. Bellwether would see to it that they were all cleared out of the way for her and Big.

Finally, a raccoon waiter threaded through the crowd and brought the mayor and his wife their wine. The Mayor graciously took the red while his wife took the white wine. Mayor Lionheart looked at the table and spoke with renewed energy.

"Look, we need to improve transportation in the penguin quarter. It's getting crowded. The special ice-cars we invested in have not been updated in sixteen years." Mayor Lionheart paused. He stood up and looked at his table of guests then raised his glass of wine.

"To all of you. Thank you for attending the dinner. And thank you for believing in us and being a part of this feast." The audience nodded and muttered hear-hear's as the Mayor took his seat and waited for comments. Bellwether excitedly clenched her fists, eyes darting from the wine to Mayor Lionheart. He turned to Elaine.

"Honey, why don't we switch? I never tried the white wine." Bellwether gripped the edge of her table.

"Seems a grand idea to me," she said, and switched glasses. Damn it all. This would have to do. Elaine drank the poisoned red wine. Bellwether looked away, fighting back her panic.  _I'll make this work. I have to_.

To calm herself, Bellwether decided to start up a conversation with Frank. It was good that he was at the meeting. She could probe for information on Jack. He was, after all, her third target.

"So, Frank. How has Jack been keeping himself busy these days?" The meerkat, suddenly aware of her presence, smiled her way,

"Oh. He is alright. Been incredibly busy. But I can't comment much. He doesn't tell me everything."

"Ever the keeper of secrets hmm?"

"Yes."

"Surely there must be something you recognized? Has he seemed irritable in any way? Nervous? Angry?" Frank laughed.

"No more high-strung than usual. He is worried about why Big has been so active recently." An opening. She leaned in closer to Frank and smiled.

"Do tell!"

Frank leaned in and whispered, "He's investigating Big on the down-low. Working to bring him down. But his superiors haven't accepted his request officially." Bellwether held in an excited breath. She shifted her gaze back to the table of guests. They turned their heads uncomfortably at Mrs. Lionheart. Her breathing had quickened and she could be heard across the table. Dr. Cunningham was the first to speak,

"Mrs. Lionheart? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" The lioness slammed her fists down on the table, causing the plates and glasses to jump. Bellwether rose from her seat and slipped away from the gathering. She kept an eye on the group as she backed off. Doug and Woolter met her gaze from across the diner, and she nodded their way. A sudden crash drew her attention back to the table. Mayor Lionheart was on the ground fending off his wife's attempts to bite him. Dr. Cunningham and Frank rushed to try and subdue her. The four of them wrestled on the ground. The crowd around them scrambled in a panic.

Through the noise and chaos, Bellwether hurried out the front and picked up her phone to call Big.

"It's time!"

* * *

Judy began to feel the effects of the wine as she walked the ledge. She clung to the railing and carefully made her way to the hidden square. Once she comfortably hit solid ground, she turned away from the corner and looked at the sealed windows in front of her. They were covered on the inside by thick curtains. Good. The windows were unable to be opened, and the curtains meant she and Jack were unable to be seen. Privacy. Jack's light steps tapped in her ears behind her.

"What's gotten into you?" Judy raised her fists again. Her body burned with excitement and a need; a need to play and to touch. Jack turned the corner. Judy threw a half-hearted punch but he caught it. She was surprised by his speed, or maybe the alcohol had finally thrown her off balance. He looked straight at her and tightened his grip on her paw just enough to keep it in his grasp. With his free left paw, he pulled on her shirt and crushed the distance between them. Their eyes and noses but inches apart. A sudden thought crept into Judy's head. It nagged at her like a forgotten memory that needed to be recalled but the lust of the moment was too powerful. Too distracting. The static build-up between them hung heavy in the air. Judy snaked a paw under his shirt,

"I want to see you. It comes off!"

"Here?"

"Yes!" She forced the red shirt off of him and squeaked when she saw the muscles on his ribs, the stripes that wrapped around his sides, the sleek form that communicated vitality and desirability.

"You are a buck!" He pressed her lips against his and shoved her to the wall. Before she knew it, her legs were half exposed to the cool night air as she frantically lowered her pants. Jack opened his own and moved forward. He made contact with her in a way that sent shivers through her groin. She hugged him and wriggled her pants down to her ankles before kicking them to her side. A low growl of pleasure vibrated through Judy's ears and down into her bones. She responded back with her own approval and guided him with soft moans. She rested her head on his shoulder as he deftly lifted her and slowly eased her down back onto him. She clung to his waist with her legs and peeked down at his back.

She let her eyes get confused and lost in the stripes on his back as they swayed with the motion of his hips. The dancing black marks dazzled her like the lights in the city sky that colored the clouds. Each mesmerizing movement and flood of outside sensations only matched what she felt inside. She compared his beauty to the hazy horizon broken up by the different districts. They reveled in the pleasure in silence, using only moans and love bites to communicate. That is until Judy decided to speak.

"S-so, those s-st-stripes don't go to your front?"

"N-no..." Jack was too focused on the activity of thrusting into her to say more than one word at a time. Too lost in the pleasure they shared. She nibbled on his ears and neck, letting her own higher pitched growls vibrate in her throat. He pressed his cheek to hers and smiled, leaning into her kisses. His hot breath bathed her left shoulder. She quivered with the ecstasy as Jack moved with a rhythm. The insides of her legs were noticeably moist now.

"No cute heart-shaped smudge on your balls?"

"Ooh! I'm...done!" Judy landed on her feet and laughed as Jack's legs buckled. She didn't care about the hot sticky moisture suddenly coating her right leg. Jack hugged her waist as he knelt in front of her. He pressed his face to her covered belly and panted. His hot breath ran down her front and tickled her groin. She squirmed from the tickling sensation.

"You had to say that..." Jack squeezed her waist as if in worship before returning to his feet. Judy planted a hard kiss on his muzzle and stared into his gray eyes. To her, their partnership couldn't be more appropriate. And she hoped it would only strengthen with time.

"Maybe if you behave, I'll decorate the fur on my balls to say 'I heart Judy.'"

"You do that, and I'll marry you right now." Silence returned once more as Jack walked to retrieve his shirt. It was excessively dirty from being tossed aside. He pouted as he dusted it off, only to further smear black soot on the shirt.

"Geez. It's filthy." He looked down and noticed that his pants at the knees where he knelt from his climax were also stained black. "I hope nobody saw. Don't need the trouble now." Trouble...trouble...It suddenly hit her. Judy hurriedly dressed and almost tripped over her words saying,

"Oh! I forgot! Finnick and Nick were released! When the Chief gave me the case on Delgato, he mentioned that Nick and Finnick were cleared of charges. I talked to McHorn about it!"

"But cargo theft is a high-felony. And we had a witness! Impossible!"

"It happened. Really." Jack stroked the fur on his head. "Damn, Bogo. Get your shit together..." Jack made to return to the lounge. Judy followed him pausing for a moment to glance behind her at their little love corner. She smiled and inhaled deeply. As she stepped on the ledge, a sudden trick of light caused her to turn her head to the right.

"Did the lights just..." Judy froze for a moment. But the city was quiet. She dismissed the thought.

"Wait! I got it!" yelled Jack. Judy raced to the lounge, clearing the parapet as if she were hopping a fence.

"What?"

"Judy, this is serious. There are only one of two ways they could have been set free. Cargo theft usually involves the theft of international product. Such product is monitored by the top of the top. The Mayor, Assistant Mayor, and the Zootopian Trade Commissioner." Judy worked to slowly piece together his thoughts.

"Now, the ZTC doesn't have the authority to pardon criminals, obviously. So that only leaves two people with such authority. The Mayor and his assistant!"

"Are they corrupt?"

"I don't know." Judy turned again. The lights around them and throughout the city flickered. Jack also caught it. This time she was sure of it. Jack turned to her as the rising sensation of dread crawled up her body.

"Judy, something's wrong." The city went black. Her romantic evening was ripped from her like the flesh from her bones. A raw fear chilled her. Down in the streets, in the darkness, rising like the terror in her blood was a rumbling of voices. Cars raced in a panic. She heard screams. Then an explosion.


	24. Power Struggle

"Jack..." Jack slowly walked forward in the darkness. He looked over the rails and listened to the terrible roars in the streets. Red and yellow flashes, accompanied by rumbling booms, bubbled up in different parts of the city. Sirens shrieked in his ears as firefighters and officers began to thread through the sudden chaos. Jack knocked the rails with a fist.

"What a fine time for us to be without our gear and covered in sex." He rolled his eyes.

"I regret nothing," Judy swiftly replied. She stared down at the streets with him. The night sky provided poor light as he tried to find any sense in the chaos below them. Jack's throat went dry. He shook as he tried to speak.

"Judith, stay close." She grabbed his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack warmed to the touch and responded in kind by squeezing her paw. He found a calming breath.

"The whole city is in a frenzy!" said Judy.

"Shh. Just...listen." He gave her a dutiful look. She stared back with terrified but understanding eyes. "Just breathe with me. I'm scared too. But we need information before we can act. All we can do here is observe." Jack smiled, proud of his level-headedness. Mrs. Tirales rushed to the lounge in the darkness.

"Is everyone alright?" Jack turned and said,

"Yes and no. Please. Wherever you feel safest, head there now."

"What's happening?"

"A lot of bad things. Just go. We will see ourselves out. You might want to take that firearm you keep concealed under the bar." Mrs. Tirales gasped and rushed behind the counter of her bar. When Jack heard the click of her pistol, he sighed with relief. She would be better off with her instrument of self-defense. Sounds around him dulled as thought strangled his senses. He tried to think of a starting point. Judy stood by the parapet. Her ears swiveled upon a new sound murmuring up the streets. Snapping back to attention, Jack caught the look of surprise on her face.

"Do you hear that?"

"What?" Jack walked back to her side. His ears searched for Judy's sound. Lights hummed back to life as the disrupted power grids resumed their duty of illuminating the darkness.

"Are they growling?" asked Judy. They listened to the strange snarls and shouts, thankful for the restored power. "Look!" Judy pointed to the left, up the street from the Sky Lounge. Jack followed the direction of her finger.

A pack of mammals, mostly predators it seemed, were running through the street in similarly dressed padded clothing. Jack then looked over the buildings from their high vantage point and followed the flashes of lights across the districts. He couldn't recognize all the locations that were hit. But in the distance, he managed to catch a glimpse of a blast coming from somewhere in Sahara Square. Jack looked at Judy, proud to see the serious and thoughtful look on her face. She was mentally taking notes as well.

"What do you see?" he asked. "Tell me what you notice."

"It looks like they're all wearing police gear. There are a lot of predators. And they all seem to be in some sort of frenzy." Her breath quickened. "What's happening?" Jack hugged her. He needed her contact. She squeezed him tight.

"Please don't crush me," he wheezed.

"Sorry. Sorry..." Judy and Jack's phones chirped wildly with text alerts and personal ringtones. There were messages for missed calls that blinked behind current ones. Jack took large steps away from her and plugged his free ear with a finger as he answered his phone.

"Jack! It's Gregory. The docks in Sahara are swarming with a bunch of lunatics!" Jack could hear crashing and shouting over the phone.

"Greg! Are they way out there too? So, this is more widespread than just Savanna. Listen to me. I want you to stay hidden, but tell me about everything that happens. Am I clear?"

"Yes." Jack shook his head. He wanted to go back out to sea for a second attempt to find Big's dumping ground. It will have to wait. But a second discouraging thought struck. Does it even matter now? The low roar in the streets was carried by a wind that buffeted against his thoughts.  _If Big is attacking the docks..._

"Gregory. This is going to be a fight..."

"A pig is here. Jack, I go-" Gregory's voice suddenly cut.

"Hello? Shit!" Jack lowered the phone. If Big took control of the docks, the city would be completely crippled.

"Chief? Where is he?" asked Judy. Jack gasped,

"Bogo?"

"Damn it. Alright. I'll try." Judy looked at Jack as she lowered the phone to her side.

"That was Clawhauser. The Chief is in trouble. We need to get to the station. It's being swarmed by rampaging predators. They are targeting cops!"

"We have no equipment and no support. What can we do?" The popping noise of a helicopter overhead drowned out their voices. Spotlights blinded Jack as they raced over the city like panicked eyes. The logo of ZNN could be seen on the side of a helicopter. He looked at Judy as she stared in thought.

All the months of hunting for leads to bring down Arthur Big were looking to Jack like a complete waste of time. The unfamiliar sting of failure made itself known. It was humiliating. Jack now believed he was watching Zootopia crumble before him.

"We finally know most of what we need to."

"Huh?" Judy curiously blinked at him.

"Big's targets. All the data I collected these past 4 months. It's finally coming together. I just wish we weren't so far behind. Big is targeting the support beams of Zootopia. He's stealing businesses, trying to strangle the economy. He's attacking law enforcement. And I just heard he is invading the docks in Sahara. This is him making a power play. He's nothing but a terrorist!"

Judy stepped forward to Jack. She carefully placed her arms around him and looked at him with saddened eyes. He could feel her breath on his face. They stole a moment to breathe calm into each other as the choppers flew past.

"Zootopia is lost," said Jack.

"Don't you dare!" Jack flinched in surprise when Judy swiftly tapped him on the nose with a finger. "Say that again and I'm throwing you over the roof." Jack smiled,

"I wish you would."

"Never know when to quit, Jack." But even now? During all of this? It wasn't so much the noise in the streets or the violence. He worked as an investigator alongside armed guards in unstable lands before. No, it was his inability to think of what to do next that hurt him the most. He could not conjure up an idea. The sudden thoughtlessness made him feel inadequate.

"Judy, we're stuck on a roof, cut off from everybody else. What could we possibly do?" Judy nodded. He admired her as he watched the gears turning in her head.

"Let's start grouping up. Find other officers."

"Fine." With urgency, the rabbits rushed out of the lounge and into the chaos tearing through Savanna Central.

* * *

"Over there!" Fangmeyer pointed at a tall figure from her window as McHorn drove through eastern Savanna Central. A large armored mammal two blocks in front of them stood over a dead female goat in the street. McHorn spotted to his right a pack of small predators chasing down frightened prey. From the rearview mirror, two Hyenas chased their car.

He skidded to a stop upon noticing two fallen mammals bleeding in the street in front of his car.

"More casualties." Fangmeyer stuck her head out the passenger window and looked behind them. Several mammals joined the hyenas on the chase.

"We don't have enough cuffs for this many assholes!" she said. McHorn reached under his seat for a taser then looked at his partner's gear before placing his hand on the handle of the car. She looked ready to go. As always. He smiled grateful for such a strong and competent partner. The pursuing mob surrounded the vehicle and pounded on the doors. They beat on the trunk and climbed the roof.

The car rocked like a boat on unsteady water as mammals beat on it from all sides. Within a minute, the space around them began to shrink as their car slowly crumpled under the weight of the mob. They briefly nodded at each other. Then kicked open their doors.

"Now!" Stronger and larger than Fangmeyer, McHorn's kick fully opened the driver's door, sending the attacking weasel in front of it flying into a metal gate of a civilian home. He bounced back up almost as quickly as he fell and relentlessly resumed his attack. McHorn's mass was enough to protect him, but the strength exhibited by the crazed weasel was impressive. From McHorn's sides, larger mammals approached and flanked him. He knocked back the weasel in front using his horn and shoulder barged the attacker on his left. He kicked back the attacker behind him, sending the mammal rolling backward.

"They...don't stop!" McHorn quickly knelt by the weasel and hurried to handcuff him. He looked to his partner. Fangmeyer slipped past the two hyenas as they chased her. She tasered the closest one and jumped onto a car.

"Stay close to our vehicle! Protect it," instructed McHorn.

"Right!" He tried to aid her, but was blindsided by a massive weight slamming into him. He fell backward, his insides spun from the blow. Winded, he looked up to see a large armored mammal snarling and stomping toward him. He was dressed in what McHorn figured to be custom SWAT gear and he had white fur. McHorn bounced to his feet at the last second.

"It had to be a damn bear didn't it?" McHorn took a step back, cementing a fighting stance and avoiding a swipe. The posture of the bear seemed familiar. But he had no time to think. A squeal from Fangmeyer's direction caused McHorn's ears to twitch. The hyenas were down, but she fell to her knees exhausted and wiped blood that leaked from her nose.

"I'm alright!" she said. McHorn saw the bear lunge forward from the corner of his eye. He jumped back and slapped the bear's helmeted head. He repeated this action as needed. Gracefully avoiding the bear's repeated lunges. He continued to slap the bear on the head in an attempt to disrupt his vision like a boxer jabbing before following up with a harder blow. McHorn scrutinized the bear's armor, searching for vulnerabilities.

"Fang! Can you come over?"

"I'm here. Damn it!" One of the two hyenas stood up and tried to bite her.

"To hell with this." She tasered the hyena with max voltage. The beast convulsed and drooled before crumpling in front of her.

"Good job!" McHorn was punished for his compliment. A dull ache pulsated through the center of his head, beginning from the base of his horn. He shelled up, not wanting to take another headbutt. Fangmeyer was busy wrestling a cheetah that had run in from the back of the group. "Get his armor off!" shouted McHorn, unaware of Fangmeyer's paws full. Fangmeyer punched the cheetah in the throat, causing him to choke. She followed it up with a hard punch to the head that sent him flying back. Satisfied he wasn't getting back up, she rushed over and carefully closed in on the massive bear.

"Now!" McHorn pushed forward, slamming his mass into the bear. Fangmeyer clung to an exposed strap on his armor from behind and worked to unfasten it.

"Getting after it!" McHorn peeked around the bear's sides, watching as Fangmeyer wrestled with the straps. "Argh! It has to be lifted over his head!"

"Damn it." The bear squirmed and wriggled, trying to break free from McHorn's grasp. "I can't hold him much longer. Getting winded," said McHorn.

"Fuck!" Fangmeyer jumped on the bears back and tugged the armor upwards, hooking his arms. The bear's belly was exposed. McHorn went to work striking him several times. He snarled and huffed. And while McHorn was on the assault, he couldn't shake the feeling that this polar bear was familiar.

Trapped in his armor, the bear couldn't retaliate as Fangmeyer tugged his vest upward. She choked him with it. He struggled for air as he tried to remove the wolf from his back. McHorn did not relent on his front. With the second wave of body blows, the bear fell to his knees, limp. Fangmeyer let go, and the bear fell forward, face first.

"D...damn." They sat together near the bear catching their breaths.

"Not the most legal way to take down a suspect."

"This...is an unusual circumstance, Jennifer. And our lives were in danger," McHorn countered.

"I know." Fangmeyer unstrapped the helmet and hovered her paws over it. She flattened her ears then sat back down. "We probably still are." McHorn tilted his head curiously at her reluctance to remove the helmet. He eagerly reached over the bear and pulled it off. He jumped back when he saw the bear's face.

"Grizzoli!"

"What?" Jennifer rushed over on her knees to see the unconscious bear. She looked at him like she was examining an unfamiliar object. Her face scrunched up angrily as she shouted, "You stupid fuck!"

She stood up and stepped around him to get to the car for a large set of handcuffs and a muzzle. McHorn searched Grizzoli. He dug into his pockets and under his shirt, hoping to find something that might shed some light on what was happening. His fingers touched something wet and sharp in the bear's right pocket. He pulled out a broken syringe. Little fragments of the broken vial stuck to his fingers, glued on his skin by the blueish liquid coating them. He warily sniffed the substance and shook his head. It smelled of earth and something that made him dizzy.

McHorn guarded the bear and kept a close watch on his surroundings.

"Jennifer. While you are over there, get me an evidence bag. I found something."

"Alright." The moans and low wails that hovered in the air mingled with the crackling fires through the city. The music produced by this noise made the rhino shudder. Grizzoli stirred, prompting McHorn to react. He pinned down Grizzoli by sitting on his chest. Fangmeyer returned with the restraints and secured the muzzle. She handed McHorn the bag. He placed all of the shards of the broken syringe into the bag and wiped off as much of the liquid as he could inside the walls of the bag. They locked Grizzoli's arms a special pair of cuffs made for larger mammals.

"Why?" asked Jennifer, staring with pained eyes at Grizzoli. The bear glossed over her. He probably didn't understand the question. McHorn placed a paw on her shoulder,

"We'll have to wait for answers." She only gave him a brief glance to communicate she heard him. But she continued to lament,

"You're an officer..."

"He won't be one anymore," sighed McHorn. They hauled Grizzoli to the police car and placed him in the back. When they sat him down, he started thrashing again.

"For Family!" he shouted behind his muzzle. "Zootopia belongs to Big!"

"That fucking rodent," said Fangmeyer.

"Hold on." McHorn looked at him through the broken window of their damaged car. He was encouraged to hear Grizzoli speak a coherent sentence. "What is it? What do you want?" Grizzoli shook his head and rocked in the back seat. He lied on his side and began kicking the reinforced car door.

"Serum!"

"Wait, what is that?" Fangmeyer rushed to the radio of their car.

"Medicine! Fix me! Fix...m..." Grizzoli's voice began to fade and he slowed his thrashing. McHorn rested his hands on his hips and spat to the side. His back ached. What a night this was becoming. Big now stuck in every officer's mind.  _Maybe I should contact Judy_. Fangmeyer's words buzzed in his head,

"...the station is under attack." He wearily turned to his partner and snapped,

"What?"

"I said we have to get back to the ZPD! The station is under attack!"

"Ah!" He clenched his fists and ran to the drivers seat.

"We'll probably earn more battle scars tonight," said Fangmeyer as she entered the car. She threw a worried look at Grizzoli through the rearview mirror.

"I'm going to contact Judy," she said.

"I'm sure she is on her way over to the station." Grizzoli sat up in the back seat and groaned.

"You'll...die. Don't go."

"Go fuck yourself..." Fangmeyer muttered.

McHorn slapped his steering wheel,

"Jennifer!" She looked away and fumed silently in her seat. McHorn was desperate for answers. He turned sad eyes to Grizzoli.

"Officer Grizzoli? Are you in there somewhere? We need you, pal." No audible response but for labored breaths. "It's no use."

"I'm going to send Judy some texts. My paws are too shaky right now. I just...I just want to sit."

"We'll get through this," McHorn said. He muttered it once more to himself, hoping that saying it enough times would make it true. He wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

The loss of power in Nick's home was abrupt and unwelcome. He dropped a sketchbook from which he was drawing a Ferris-wheel and got off his couch. He stumbled through the darkness with no sense of urgency and wandered to the closet in the living room. Just as he was opening the door to his closet, a loud boom bounced off the walls of his home. He yelped in fright and twisted his torso as he peeked around his closet door. The sudden snarling noises in the streets made his fur bristle. The sounds were close. He dared to look out the window in his living room and saw mammals circling the apartment building.

"What is this?" He watched the mammals for a moment and noticed they looked like they were searching for something. Or someone?

Nick used his furniture to barricade the doors in his home, saving his room for last, and squatted by the corner of two walls near his bed. He avoided the high-set windows and listened to the chaos, hoping that whatever madness started outside his home did not have to involve him.  _But with my luck..._

He reflected on the past two months of ups and downs. The recent past trauma of being assaulted, threatened, arrested, and then kicked back out on the streets like nothing happened, left him with the uneasy feeling that the city was just setting him up for more torment.

To block out the calamity, he let his mind wander to calm his nerves. He thought about Jennifer and her heroine-like figure. He pictured seeing her when she chased down the goats. And of the very recent time when she walked him home. Or when she, Judy and McHorn came to his room in Savanna Medical. Finally, he thought of the hard-headed Finnick. Though he was still sore with the fennec fox, he couldn't exclude him. There was just too much history with Finnick that he cherished.

Nick counted twenty minutes before the power returned. But the noise hadn't ceased. His phone began to ring and Nick rushed to answer it, speaking in hushed tones.

"Hello?"

"Nick! Get your ass out of Savanna! The only safe space is Tundratown. We gotta go! I'm coming to pick you up." Nick removed the chair he used to block his door and raced to the closet in the living room without arguing. He grabbed an old duffel bag he purchased and began to stuff some clothes and other supplies into it. He added some books to pass the time and a flashlight. He placed two pocket knives into his pants, expecting to count on the variety of uses they could serve. Curiosity growing, Nick asked,

"Why Tundratown?"

"Because it's the only place that hasn't been hit," said Finnick. He walked to his nightstand, noticing the crumpled ticket given to him by Finnick. He read the words, 'When you are ready' just as he has done nearly a hundred times and stuffed Judy's number into his pocket.

"What is going on out there?"

"There's some sort of invading army out here," said Finnick. "Mammals are acting like savages and attacking each other. Police and firefighters are everywhere. SWAT is out too." Nick shook his head and draped the bag over his shoulder. He jumped with fright when a loud thud came from the window in his bedroom. Outside, a raccoon and a zebra were shouting incoherently, trying to break into his home.

"Finnick get here now!"

"Already in the van. Just ten minutes. Run outside if you have to!" Nick's blood ran cold when he heard the zombie-like zebra call out from his window,

"Nick..." A sudden spark of familiarity hit him.

"Luis?" The zebra's ears flicked in recognition of his name. Nick snarled. Luis was one of Big's fences in the Rainforest District. "Damn you..." Trembling violently, Nick unplugged his small television. When the zebra broke his window and began climbing down, Nick lifted up the television and tossed it in his direction. Luis grunted and fell forward when the side of the television caught him on the back. His scream sparked a speed in Nick he didn't know he possessed. He sped to the couch he placed on his door and glanced back to his room to see the raccoon climbing over the still downed Zebra. Nick struggled to free himself from his own trap.

"Come on!" The raccoon sped toward him.

"Big wants to see you!" said the raccoon.

"Shit!" He finally got the door open just as the raccoon closed the distance. and slipped through the opening. He slammed the door on the intruder's arm. The raccoon yowled as his arm was crushed.

Nick ran out into the darkness and yelled. He waved his arms in the air, hoping someone sane was near. The bag over his shoulder bounced on his side and resisted his flailing. Nick finally saw a familiar orange van speeding up the street.

"Yes!"

"Over here, buddy! Watch out!" Nick dropped his bag then jumped out of Finnick's way. Finnick's tires screeched to a halt after a meaty thud. Nick turned his dazed eyes to the scene. The raccoon that chased him was left a disfigured mess on the road. And the zebra on the other end had his legs crushed. Nick unexpectedly found himself laughing. The surrealness of it all was short-circuiting his already fragile emotional state. Finnick backed up the van to Nick and shouted,

"Come on!" Nick picked up his duffel bag, glad that Finnick missed it and hurried into the van.

"I hate Zootopia." He tugged on his ears and buried his back deeper into the seat. Finnick drove west for several minutes, searching for a clear route to Tundratown. The barrier of silence between them left Nick fidgeting in his seat. Police blockades occupied several streets up from where Finnick had turned a corner.

"Shit. The roads are cut off all over."

"How widespread is this? We're trapped in a horror movie."

"I don't know. We have to get to Big. He'll figure this out." Nick looked at Finnick incredulously. He positioned his bag behind his seat and said,

"I think Big caused this."

"No way!" Finnick shouted. "The hell makes you think he'd be this nuts? He's just a sleazy tycoon."

"That zebra you ran over was Luis. I sort of knew him. He worked for Big. He said Big wants me."

"I'm not good with faces, how the hell would I know? Big said Tundratown is safe."

"We can't go to Big."

"He'll keep us safe. He just sent them to pick you up. Just trust me." The uncertainty in Finnick's voice was obvious. Seeing an opportunity to argue back, Nick pounced,

"Then why did you run them over?"

"I..." Finnick abruptly stopped the car. "Damn it. They were chasing you. I didn't know. Nick, we have to survive this!"

"Then we'll do it my way."

"And what are you going to do?" Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled ticket. "I'm calling Judy." Finnick laughed and rested his head on the steering wheel. He avoided looking at Nick, settling for staring at the wheel.

"The hell do you think she can do? The cops tried to throw us in jail. Remember? What makes you think they won't try that again?" Nick shook his head and growled,

"We were helping that fat fuck of a shrew steal business goods. That's why we were arrested.  _Remember_?" Silence filled the van. Finnick hid his face behind his ears while Nick dialed Judy's number. He scoffed at the sound of a busy tone. Figures. A low whimpering noise coming from Finnick drew Nick's attention.

"I don't know what to do," said Finnick. His eyes were moist and his voice cracked. "I can't do anything right."

"This isn't our fault."

"We've been fighting with the city for years, Nick. Whether it's cops or other mammals or whatever. And we argue all the time now." This has become so obvious that acknowledging the shift in their friendship no longer disturbed him. He couldn't think of anything to say that would help comfort Finnick. He opted to merely offer the truth,

"I'm not how I used to be."

"I see that. And it sucks. Ever since you left my store and started running your own thing as a food vendor. Ever since Big became more interested in what we do, it's been different. And now with these cops, you're a total stranger. And I sleep with a fucking baseball bat under my bed."

"Because of the police?" Nick asked with some surprise.

"No. Because of everything!" Nick turned his focus away to something trivial and avoided looking at Finnick. "I want us both to get our shit together. But we won't do it like this if we're always arguing." Fighting an inner war with his panic, Nick unlocked the door to the van. He fought the urge to jump out. There was nowhere to go. He was stuck in the van where Finnick's heart began spilling out his mouth. "I meant what I said in the bar. That no matter what happens, you would always be my family."

"We're a pack of two, bro," whispered Nick. "Finnick, hopefully, your shop is still standing after all of this. It's the one good thing you do have. But you looked for shortcuts out of your short-sightedness when your business hit legal troubles. And look at where we've gone from there." Finnick punched his steering wheel. He looked around the streets trying to figure out where he would go next. There didn't seem to be any clear paths to take. But he didn't want to admit they were stuck in Savanna Central. Even worse, as they drove further up, Finnick passed another blocked street where officers were fighting against a mob of mammals.

"I can't force you to go somewhere you don't want to," said Finnick. "And it is looking like we can't really go anywhere. Take this opportunity now to make one final request. What do you want?" Nick glanced at his phone, seeing Judy's number on his 'recent calls' list.

"There is only one request I have. But it's a crazy one."

"What?"

"Take me to the ZPD. I need to find Judy or Fangmeyer. Please." Finnick went slack-jawed at the request.

"You've lost it." Nick stared hard at Finnick.

"I have to see Fangmeyer and Judy. I just want to see them one more time. To convince myself that they are real. To remind me that there are good mammals out there. If we're stuck here and have to fight, let's at least fight with the right people." Finnick wiped his brow. Officers shouted at them from across the street. He looked out the driver's window and drove in reverse, speeding away from the officers and the mammals that engaged them. He turned to Nick,

"When Judy spoke to me in the hospital, she was all rosy and righteous and optimistic. I know she might be a good cop. But just listening to her made me feel sick. Sick because I knew almost right away that I'll never be as good as she might be. And that hurts because it means I know I fucked up my life. And maybe yours as well. Yet you're still by my side. After every failure and every bad decision."

"Geez, Finnick..." Nick rested a paw on his shoulder. Finnick's body rose and fell under his paw with trembling breaths.

"Alright. I'll take you to the ZPD."

* * *

Chief Bogo limped out of the rear exit of the ZPD. The light from the rising flames in the station colored the walls orange. The flames ate greedily at anything they could devour in the station. Three armored mammals pursued Bogo through the blaze and out of the building. They shouted promises of his death. He pulled out a grenade he snatched up from the lockers, knowing he had no protection from the gas and dropped it by his feet.

The grenade hissed as yellow smoke rose with ill intent. The gas thickened in the rear lot and sat heavy in the air. Chief Bogo reached for the electric prod strapped to his good leg. He turned and carefully balanced himself with the prod held ready.

A spark of blue danced through the clouds like lightning. He blindly stabbed forward, blinking the smoke and tears from his eyes. He was rewarded with a satisfying yelp from one of the zapped attackers. A lucky hit. He coughed and worked to control what little air his lungs held.

"Protect the chief! This way!" A squad of officers urgently marched onto the scene. They braved the irritating smoke and engaged Chief Bogo's pursuers. Unable to see, Chief Bogo listened to the sounds of fighting. He listened to the cries of pain from one of his officers. Then another. But before he could stuff down the agony from his injuries and aid his team, the fight was done. The smoke finally lifted, and Chief Bogo saw that his attackers were down.

Chief Bogo counted four officers by his side. The officers outnumbered Bogo's pursuers by one and successfully dispatched the threat. But they suffered a surprising number of wounds. One officer rubbed his eyes as he looked at the motionless bodies in the lot.

"They fight like crazed savages."

"Sir?" An otter approached Bogo. The Chief tried to stand tall to conceal the extent of his wounds. But when he tried to straighten up, a hot shock of pain ran the length of his left thigh and up through his back.

"Ah!" He spasmed forward, falling to a knee. His damp pants clung to his leg with the warm stickiness of blood.

"Chief!"

"Go..." The buffalo held up an open hand. He panted and tried again to stand. When he failed, he settled for a knee. "Go and unlock the cells," he rasped. "Release the prisoners we have here at the station."

"But-" Chief Bogo interrupted the officer immediately,

"I know!" Now was not the time to tolerate any modicum of disobedience. They all had their duties. And whatever protest his officers dared to make, needed to be silenced. "The station is on fire. I will not allow my holding cells to be used as death traps." The honking of an approaching firetruck grew in volume. "Finally. Assist the fire department." The officers looked toward each other, then to the Chief. "Our duty is to enforce laws. Not seek vengeance on hooligans." With that, the officers straightened their posture, and in a strong tone that surprised Bogo, they responded with a loud and solemn,

"Sir!" He nodded with pride. Still on a knee. There was simply too much pain. Three of the four officers hurried inside. In the brief silence, Chief Bogo noticed the emptiness in the lot as he looked around. Were there really that many vehicles out on patrol all at once? There were usually two dozen cars stationed out here. And a separate section for SWAT vehicles. But Bogo only counted two cars left in the lot. The heat from the flames and the sickly fumes began to overwhelm him. He turned to the otter and said,

"Oats. I've been bitten and stabbed from behind. Help me out of the lot. I'll circle around the commotion. I can't do anything like this." Oats offered the Chief his shoulders for support. The difference in height and mass made leaning on Oats awkward. But they managed to get a good motion going. Officer Oats was fairly muscular, thanks to the standard fitness requirements for police officers. But he was slender and shorter than Bogo.

The Chief was careful to not overburden Oats with his weight as he was helped out of the lot and past the fire trucks. When they were clear enough away, Chief Bogo gently shuffled away from Oats' shoulders and sat on the sidewalk.

"I'm not going to make it to a hospital like this, am I? There aren't enough trucks for everyone. Not this night. Ow!" The Chief lied back and rolled to his good side. He lifted up his shirt and lowered his pants a bit, revealing the wounds underneath. "How...bad is it?" Officer Oats grimaced at the wounds. He swallowed his disgust and said,

"Most likely, sir, it looks worse than it is."

"Hurts like all fuck."

"I can't tell how deep the wound is. But if the wounds were cleaned, it probably wouldn't look that bad. I see claw and bite marks. It looks like your clothing took most of the force."

"Good lad. Thank you." Bogo rolled onto his back and stared at the night sky as black smoke floated upward. The noxious smell was so strong in the air that it probably carried for several blocks.

"Chief, I can use one of the cars and drive you to the hospital." Chief Bogo remained silent. He took in the smells of burning rubber and brick. He listened to the shouting in the distance. Some sparse gunfire, crashing, and panic. When Oats hovered over him quizzically, the Chief flatly said,

"No. I need to stay here. Not yet. I won't leave my officers."

Oats swallowed his nervousness then said,

"I have news."

"Regarding what?"

"Clawhauser, Francine, and Wolford are dead. We ran past them as we were chasing the mammals hunting you." The Chief sat up and squeezed back an angry whimper. Gunfire erupted near the station again. Oats immediately drew his weapon and ran forward.

The Chief watched helplessly, albeit with pride, as his officers continued to fight back. A beat up police car rushed to the station. The battered vehicle waddled up the hill, past the station lot. It parked in front of the Chief. Fangmeyer and McHorn hurried out of their car.

"Chief Bogo!" He was getting sick of hearing his name being called out. He turned his good side to the approaching officers to avoid alarming them.

"Is this everyone?" asked McHorn, looking toward the station.

Bogo cleared his throat, but his voice was ragged,

"So far. You two look like you ran into some trouble?"

"We were ambushed by wild mammals. Everyone is going crazy. We think this was Big's doing."

"Why do you say that?" Fangmeyer scowled and pointed to their vehicle. Bogo leaned to look behind her and noticed Grizzoli in the car, muzzled and rocking back and forth in his seat.

"What?" He clenched his fists angrily and against his better judgment, tried to stand. His body responded to the effort with a blast of pain that knocked him back down. "Ah! Damn it all!" Fangmeyer noticed the wound.

"Chief! There should be a medical kit in one of the SWAT vehicles. I'll be back!" McHorn knelt beside Bogo.

"We've been betrayed by too many of our own. And Big is responsible for it. He doesn't even keep it secret anymore. Grizolli says so. And others say his name in the streets more and more. Judy has been working with a Jack Savage from the Mammal Intelligence Center to bring him down." Bogo blinked and snorted in surprise. Judy? The insubordinate and clumsy, hard-headed but optimistic rabbit? That Judy? He lowered his head without comment, noticing the blood on the edge of a pant leg. Rustling in the bushes behind them caused McHorn to start.

"Who is it!?" Chief Bogo gingerly turned around on his butt. McHorn stood in front of him.

"I come in peace, big guy!" said a soporific voice.

"No way..."

"Your big ass better believe it. I didn't want to, but this red fuck doesn't know any better." Finnick and Nick pushed through some bushes. Before McHorn and Bogo could even utter their surprise, Fangmeyer was returning with an ajar silver case and shouted from behind them,

"Nick!? Why? Get somewhere safe!" The foxes stood with flattened ears and limp tails in front of the officers.

"Chief!"

"More?" Yet another voice called to him in alarm. Everyone's heads turned to see Judy and Jack, covered in blood, running past the station to join up. They covered their noses to guard against the fumes.

"McHorn, lift me up," grunted Bogo. "It's time we start sorting out this mess!" The crowd of mammals huddled around Chief Bogo. He counted the heads around him before speaking to the bewildered group. He eyed a bloodied Jack Savage and Judy Hopps. Those two have some explaining to do. He gave Nick Wilde and Finnick Brone a suspicious glare. Yet another pair that needed to be sorted out. He passed a quick glance at Fangmeyer and McHorn.

"We all need to get to safety," said Jack in response to Fangmeyer.

"Everyone stop!" The Chief bellowed. The fullness of his voice, a body blow to those next to him. Firefighters continued to battle the flames as officers around the station guarded it against any further threats. A handful of inmates Chief Bogo ordered released were seen rushing out of the station. Some of them stood by and helped injured officers. The Chief noticed them from beyond the group in front of him. He softly spoke to McHorn as he was supported, "Remember what we see here tonight. In the worst of times, we're capable of coming together for what is truly good." McHorn smiled when he noticed what his Chief was referring to.

He took in a careful breath then spoke,

"There is far too much going on this night for us to put our heads together here and now. And I am badly injured. So let's keep statements brief and to the point." Eager to start with fresh information, Bogo began with the two rabbits. "Judy and Jack. What do you want me to know?" Judy made to speak then stopped herself. She pushed Jack forward.

"Big is attacking the city and is targeting law enforcement and the docks. He wants to throw the city into chaos and overtake Zootopia. If he takes control of our docks, the city will be crippled. He has high influence supporting him. If we are going to get to Big, we'll need to take out his powerful supporters. The mayor's cabinet is corrupt." Chief Bogo fumbled for an obscenity. His heart drummed in his ears. He squeezed McHorn's shoulder hard enough to make the rhino squirm in discomfort.

"Why haven't you spoken to me sooner?" Jack sighed then coughed from the fumes in the air and said,

"If it were that simple, I would have. Nobody at the MIC knew what I was doing. They wouldn't support me, so I started my investigation alone. It's not like you were having any success convicting his goons." Fangmeyer wandered over to Nick. Bogo's ear flicked to their voices behind him.

"I wanted to see you. To see Judy. I didn't know what to do. I still don't know. But I want to help. And I need it too. I have information." Jack nodded somberly and walked to Finnick and Nick. They turned to him with some surprise.

"Wait a second..." Nick looked at Jack with familiarity. "So you're the lasagna!"

"I'm the what now?" Jack gave him a puzzled look. Chief Bogo gingerly turned around and snorted at the foxes. he gritted his teeth and said,

"You really expect me to trust you two?" Fangmeyer intervened quickly. Her white muzzle quickly filled his vision as she stood close to him and softly pleaded,

"Chief. Please, let them help. I'll keep a close eye on them." Bogo sighed. But what if they were lying? Could he take that risk? Would they attempt to murder him? He looked at the officers around him. Though they all have seen quite a fair share of work this night, he couldn't deny their professionalism. They were his best. The streets began to spin. He shook his head and breathed deep. The group murmured amongst themselves.

"All of you, quiet!" Chief grunted. His breathing labored. "We can't stay here. I need a place to recuperate."

"Captain!" Bogo turned to Jack's sudden sharp tone. "We are better off only trusting ourselves. This night will bleed into the morning and perhaps even beyond. The city's borders are being locked down, as you are probably aware. My home has state of the art security. You are all welcome to stay and recuperate. We'll have more time to process all of this there." Chief Bogo looked around, noticing the sparse number of vehicles. The one SWAT vehicle in the lot could fit three of the larger members of their group. But Bogo wanted weapons. He wanted to bring defenses.

"What are we going to do about equipment? We'll need to arm up. The one SWAT truck isn't going to fit all of us and weapons."

"Finnick's Van can help carry some stuff," said Nick.

"Nick! Hell no!" Finnick shoved him and grumbled. Jack looked at the panicked fennec fox and smirked,

"Splendid idea. And it isn't a cop car so it won't draw attention."

"Nobody drives my van but me!"

"So drive it. Even better. We can hide in the back," said Fangmeyer, her paws on her hips. Finnick grumbled and argued with Nick and Jack as Fangmeyer approached Chief Bogo.

"Chief," Bogo turned to the wolf, "I can stitch you up if we get going. You have a serious limp." He snorted, humbled by his injuries. He thought about the remaining officers out in the streets, attending to who knows what other mayhem going on. Recognizing he needed to tend to his wounds and that the station was in ruins, Bogo weakly nodded.

"Let's get going already!"

"Finnick?" Judy approached Jack and stood by him, hoping to charm Finnick into submitting to the request. She added smugly, "If you don't let us use the van, we'll commandeer it without you and leave you here. And don't think I'm feeling charitable either because right now I'm covered in dirt, blood, and cum." Bogo's ears flicked. His head turned to Judy unsure of what he just heard. Finnick blinked then averted his gaze.

"Damn, Judy." He looked at Nick, then to the other officers. With a heavy sigh, he relented. "Alright. Get in the van."

"I'll get the SWAT vehicle with Bogo" said McHorn.

"Thanks, Finnick," said Nick in almost a whisper. Finnick looked at the station and the mayhem around him. His ears sank to his sides and he asked,

"Did Big really cause this?" In almost one big voice, several of the officers quickly said,

"Yes." Finnick sheepishly turned away from them.

"Then...I know whose ass to stuff with my baseball bat." Jack laughed,

"Get in line." A low beeping noise drew Jack's attention. He lifted his phone to see a message. Bogo watched as his ears suddenly jerked straight up. But the sounds around him began to muddy. Before Bogo knew what was happening, he lost all awareness and sensations and the world spun into black.


	25. Code 0201

_Clink!_ It has been four days since Zootopia came under attack.

"Faster!" A breathless voice speaks.

"I can't believe this..." The voices...Nick? And someone else. Unfamiliar. The blackness was Judy's only blanket of security. Her body was completely numb. She could barely breathe. Her head buzzed and she once again fell into half dreams.

 _Clink!_ She remembers carefully carrying Bogo to Jack's bed along with Fangmeyer. Later Judy watches as she is stitching him up.

"Wow. I am impressed with your skills, Jennifer," says Nick.

"I wanted to be a nurse, but the requirements because of my fur were such a hassle. I didn't want to do all that maintenance every day. So I became a police officer." She furrows her brows, focusing her eyes on the wound as she stitches up the unconscious Bogo.

"Traded the stethoscope for a badge, huh?" Nick's tail wags fiercely. Judy smiles. It was cute.

 _Clink! Clink!_. The pain stabs at her head and her thoughts shift. She is in Jack's home. All of them and more. A tiger is bound and sits near the door guarded by Finnick. He repeatedly aims his bat in the tiger's direction. He followed them to Jack's home. His name was Fennis? Fonnis? Judy forgot. But what he told her stuck in her mind:

"I helped kill Delgato's family. A lioness and cub." He was slammed to the ground in an instant and cuffed. The officers were not willing to take any chances. They kept a careful eye on him in shifts. He claims he wanted to confess. To be cleansed of his "sins." But Judy and the group were having none of it.

"Alright. We're making progress. Keep hammering the concrete!" Judy remembers what Nick said in the house,

"I have names for you. Names I am willing to give up. People close to Big, and other connections. Doug. He plays with chemicals. I don't know any more than that. Duke, a pervert. He makes dirty videos and also runs errands for Big. He sells stolen goods. He steals them himself occasionally. A computer wiz-pig named Thomas Pohc. But last I heard, he is in jail. Manchas, a panther. A limo driver that works for Big. A big transport kitty. Predator through and through." Nick curls his shoulders with dread. "Those fangs make me shiver..."

The plan was clear: Go after Big's key players. Start dismantling him by taking away his support. He already lost Nick and Finnick. It was time to start dwindling his funds and removing his muscle. And with the names provided by Nick, they now had solid targets. Judy blacks out again. But when the dreams return she sees herself hugging Nick and Finnick. And Nick is in police uniform. But it was just a dream. Though she was sure the hug was real. The uniform wasn't.

 _Clink!_  Duke Wieselton. The dream changes again. Judy was chasing him toward the border of Sahara Square. But she was ambushed. Nick is with her. The chase is silent. Their steps are muffled and replaced by Jack's voice. Finally, something comforting to hear.

"Judy. I think we have an opening here."

"What do you mean?" Judy rounds a corner. It is dark. She stares at the climate wall sheltering the desert in the distance. It bleeds from its pores and the sky flashes with storm clouds. All is silent except the voices.

"This widespread chaos is completely unlike Big. He is organized. Big doesn't do chaos. This is different." Judy couldn't tell. She still knew so little of Big, so she accepted what Jack said and merely listened. "I think that at first there was a plan. But something went wrong." The dream continues to the sound of Jack's voice. Judy is dragged by unseen arms. But she knows whose arms they were. Weasels follow Duke to Judy. All she hears are her own words as she responds to Jack in her dream. The sky continues to break violently with light.

"No matter what, we stick to the plan. Duke must know something." Jack only nods. "My mother called after the blackout. She said that a bunch of weasels came by. They paid for all of the flowers on my uncle's farm. But the flowers they took were toxic. His land was nothing but dirt when they left!"  _Clink!_ Her head buzzes again.

Judy falls forward. Her body is wrecked with pain. She is still half asleep. The pain twists the dream. She remembers being pulled down somewhere. Her arms are tied behind her back. She sees a large bucket turning over and dropping something on top of her. Mud? No. Cement! She struggles to keep her head above the mix. Weasels keep watch. Nick is nowhere to be found. One more ghost of a thought echoes in her head.

"I'll get the weasel," Judy whispers as she looks at Jack lovingly. She squeezes his paws.

"I'll secure the Mayor," replies Jack. "Time to wake up." His voice distorts.

 _Clink!_  Judy's head never hurt so much in her life. Every minuscule pang of pain is intense and crippling. She sees Duke hovering over her. He replaces Jack's image and voice. She is trapped in the cement up to her shoulders and it is drying. Becoming solid. The weasel drools and leers at her. It is as if her entire body was in a blood-pressure reader. And she found herself being slowly crushed to death by the cement. Merging with the earth. Duke unzips his pants and kneels over her head. She could barely breathe and can't fight. He forces himself into her, prying her mouth open with dirty nails. She blacks out, but not before seeing his dirty body cloud her vision as he creeps closer, and having the taste of Duke imprinted on her tongue and mind.

"Get her out!" Judy feels herself momentarily float and the world spins in darkness. The numbness of her body battles the pins and needle sensation of flowing blood, bringing her back to consciousness with agony. She struggles for a breath. Her fur and clothing is matted and weighed by cement. The world is still black and out of focus. Her heartbeat hammered in her skull.

"Aaahh!" She barely squeaks out a cry as every inch of her Is born anew with suffering. Her mouth is dry. A foul taste. Though there are comforting arms now holding her, she could still feel Duke hovering in the sky in her mind. Reaching into her. Revolting.

"Judy! Come on!" Nick whines and kneels over her protectively. She shakes with pain. Behind Nick, she looks at a chubby seal darting his eyes about in worry. Her body struggles to decompress from the cement's crushing grip. She attempts to breathe despite the pain. Her ears were ringing.

Nick's tears dripped on her face. He wipes them away and gingerly reaches out to her.

"No!" She barely manages to yell. It hurts too much. Nick recoils from the shout. After some minutes, she finally tries to move on her own.

"She could have crush syndrome," the seal mumbles. Nick looks at him, concerned and curious.

"What?"

"When a part of the body is under extreme pressure and blood is cut off for a long time, it can damage muscle tissue. Some people can recover if it isn't serious. In some cases, it can be fatal. But she will recover. It hasn't been too long." His confident and reassuring tone does little to alleviate the concerns of anyone present.

"Oh! This seal here is Gregory. He is a friend of Jack's!" Judy almost smiles and attempts to move.

"Shh. Take it easy," whimpers Nick. He cradles her head gently as she lies in the dirt and gravel.

"Oh!" She fails to make progress. Judy inhales deep and starts with smaller movements. She fights back the image of Duke, but he has wormed his way into the front of her consciousness. She wanted to curl in on herself. The violation of her body, the helplessness. She willed her fingers. The tingling continued, but now it was not as much of an endeavor to move her extremities.

"My body..." Judy cried. "I've..." She couldn't say it. Didn't want to think it.

"We got him," says Nick. "I found Duke. He is pinned under a car in the yard. He won't be going anywhere."

"I have to bring him in for questioning," Judy says weakly. Nick leans closer to Judy, sorrow fills his eyes.

"I saw what he was doing to you. I stopped him."

The mortification Judy felt was so great. She gave no reaction but a silent blank stare. Not only was she taken advantaged of, but there was an audience to the act. The stench of weasel returned. She turned to her side and vomited.

"Gregory," Nick shakily says.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Help me get her to your car."

"Wait!" Judy holds up a paw, spitting on the ground and scooting herself away from the rejected contents of her stomach. Every movement was like pushing into sharpened pins. Her muscles throbbed and failed and she almost fell back down as she sat up. Judy wobbled before steadying herself on her butt, curling forward and holding onto her knees for support.

"What is it?"

"Is he alive?" Nick looked at Gregory, then to Judy. He lowered his ears uncertainly.

"Y...yes."

"Then bring him! Duke comes with us. I want to take him to the Rainforest District's Police Department."

"Jud-"

"Don't! Don't try to tell me otherwise. Shut up and...do it." She hid her pleading with a weak yet commanding police tone. She stared Nick down, waiting for him to submit. And it didn't take long. He scowled and nodded to her. And with a snarl said,

"Fine."

Judy waited in the front passenger's seat of Gregory's car. She learned that Gregory had been communicating with Jack since before the attack on the city, and he was attempting to sneak back into the Sahara docks after being escorted out by a group of thugs led by a strange pig in prison clothing. An escaped convict or a breakout. If so, he must have been important. Then she remembered the name of a pig Nick gave her: Thomas Pohc.

Judy's thoughts became more tumultuous and her focus shifted to actually confronting Duke. Her heart ached with anxiety.

"Crime Code: 0201," she mumbled. Did she fail? No, Nick said they got him. And right now he was being dragged to the car, she hoped. She didn't want to see him walking proud and in good health. He certainly wouldn't volunteer himself. In any case, it didn't feel like a victory. Not yet. But how could she feel any victory now even if he was captured? To be so close to death and to have someone deriving pleasure off of you in that moment. The depravity of it all. Rapist. Ragged breaths and shouting bounced off of Gregory's car. The back door was opened, and Nick threw a beaten weasel into the seat. His fur was torn, mouth bloodied.

"Haaagh! Ribs..."

"Don't worry, cutie, we'll fix you right up," said Nick. He sat in the back, close to the weasel, imposing his slightly larger size over him and decided to sit on Duke's tail.

"Ow! Get off!" Nick turned to the twisting weasel who lied sideways in the car, curled up with his arms over his sides.

"No." Judy turned and her subconscious let out a painful animal shout toward Duke. She squeezed her seat, holding on as adrenaline surged through her veins. Pain and fury carried her voice. Duke and Nick both shrunk from the primal shriek. Sorrow from Nick. Confusion and bug-eyed fear from Duke. Then all was silent. Judy faced forward as Gregory got into the driver's seat. He turned to Judy and gently asked,

"Where to again, Ms.?"

"Rainforest District Police Department. I want your phone."

"Um, sure." Gregory input the unlock code to his phone and Judy snatched it,

"Thanks." She stared into the phone as it shook in her paws. Gregory watched her with concern, then forced himself to focus his attention on driving his car. Judy ignored him.

She found Jack's contact information and hovered a finger over his name. She wiped away a tear then opened up the message window: "This is Judy. I am with our friend, Gregory. We caught Wieselton. Bringing him in. Keep fighting, love. I'm okay..." She deleted the last two words. If she kept that in the message, would it imply that something happened? She wasn't ready to confess to any more people. It was bad enough Nick knew. After sitting on the message and mulling over several tangled thoughts, she fought the ties holding her back and hit the send button.

"Here." She placed the phone down next to Gregory's seat. Then she stared in the rear-view mirror hanging on the dashboard.

"It's too bad you fell asleep on the job," said Duke. "Very inconsid–"

Nick slammed his fist down onto Duke's broken ribs from where the car had crushed him. He squealed in pain from the blow and coughed.

"Hargh!"

"Not another word..."

"You have given me nothing but disgust and shame." The car fell silent again. Judy's words began to roll from her mouth, from the back of her mind. She was frozen in her seat. Only her mouth moved as she spoke. Her fingers absently picking at their claws. "I can easily picture myself crushing your head with a rock like some savage. But I know that to do this would mean that I let you strip me of my dignity. It would be a betrayal of everything I worked so hard to become." She turned her head to Duke. His labored breathing lost on her. There was no sympathy. No pity. He lost that privilege.

"You have no power over me. I am a police officer. I do not succumb to chaos. I bring order to it. And there is nothing you or anyone can do to change that. Upholding justice is a principle that defines me. It defines everyone that works in the system that we uphold. You can't corrupt me. You can't make me be like you. And you and Big and everyone in between that functions like you will fail. Not all in one shot. Not in a week. But you will fail. And I will be there to see you brought to justice."

Duke hid his face in the seat and whimpered. "Duke Wieselton, you are under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." It was almost ritual to speak the words. To read the rights. She clung to the one comfort she had. It was a tactic she would lean on to distance herself from what happened. And there was a plan. The plan...

Judy paused for a moment to remind herself where everyone was. Finnick should still be in Jack's home. He guarded the captured tiger with Fangmeyer as she took care of Chief Bogo. McHorn had gone with Jack to Tundratown to meet up with Jack's contact Frank from the MIC. The Mayor was being protected by heavy security and they migrated to the home of Frank Stone in Tundratown. That sounded about right to her. Everyone had a job to do. There was a war to win.

When she completed the reading of his rights, there was one question left she needed to have answered.

"Who did you give the flowers to? I personally know the person you purchased the flowers from. Tell me where they have gone and what they are being used for." Nick pulled Duke upright. He snarled in pain. His ribs were bruised and lumpy, even through his shirt. His breaths were short and rapid.

"D-Doug a...sh-sh-sheep." He nodded forward, half conscious. Nick slapped him.

"Hey! Stay awake." Then he pulled him upright again.

"The flowers are being used f-for poison production. To create crazed mammals." Judy nodded in victory. She smiled and requested Gregory's phone again. Duke whined in his seat, "Please take me to a hospital." His cries became more pathetic.

"You will see a doctor sometime tonight or tomorrow," said Judy. They had a long drive ahead of them. Gregory graciously unlocked the phone then handed it over. Judy dialed the front desk to the Rainforest District Police Department.

"For what it's worth, Officer Hopps," said Gregory. Judy turned her eyes to him. "This may be forward and quite soon, but already I'm honored to have met and work alongside you." She placed a trembling paw on his shoulder and smiled.

"RDPD, Sergeant Capel speaking." Judy lowered her gaze as she focused on the call.

"This is Officer Hopps from the Savanna Central Precinct. Reporting a 0201. Suspect is in custody. Crime 0201."

"Copy, Officer Hopps. We understand your department was hit the hardest during the terror attack and are doing our best to accommodate you. But it is difficult here too. Will the suspect be arriving shortly?"

"Yes."

"And who and how is the victim?" Judy took in a deep breath. Her blood curled in her veins as she said,

"I am." Judy knew the struggle for the city was reaching its peak and she needed to continue on no matter what happened. This was a matter of urgency. There was no time for her to lick her wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fun trivia: In Tucson, Arizona the police code for sexual assault of a female is 0201. It was a happy coincidence given that this is the first in my second round of chapters coming in for Power Struggle after taking 60 days off to do some maintenance and handle personal life.
> 
> Sorry, Judy...


	26. The Good Doctor

"What happens if Bogo can't return to work?" asked Jack. Mchorn strolled beside him with as stoic an expression as he's ever had across his sleepy face. But rhino's were hard to read.

"If he can't return there will be a replacement, of course." Jack scoffed,

"I know that. I mean who will be Bogo's successor?" McHorn smirked.

"You should have asked the question that way." Jack smiled back. McHorn was always direct and minimal with his words to the point of annoyance. This, Jack learned quickly. McHorn lowered his head as they continued to walk through the snow-dusted streets of Tundratown. He then smiled wide as he looked at Jack and said, "I will be his successor." Pride swelled in the rhino's chest.

"You're that far along in your career?" Jack's ears stood upright with surprise.

"Yes. I've been with the ZPD for a long time."

"Congratulations, Mike."

"Thank you, Mr. Jack Savage." The frozen night in Tundratown was illuminated by both the external and internal lights of cottage homes of wood and stone planted along the snaking streets. The residential neighborhood they trekked through created an S-shaped barrier separating the penguin and bear communities from other mammals more generally found in other districts. The sections of Tundratown were joined by a network of various transport systems including bridges, tunnels, buses, and lifts. It was an old system and its need for updating was one of the key topics in the upcoming election season. McHorn gave Jack a friendly shove.

"Sir, thank you for letting us in your home. And for allowing us to use the bath." Jack briefly hopped on one foot from the push. He smirked, privately marveling at the raw strength of mass that comes from McHorn being a rhino.

"I consider cleanliness as important as rest. I thought it would help get us to calm down some." McHorn stopped and momentarily looked around. Jack did the same. No one spoke a word, nor made any sudden movements. When there were no sights or sounds that alerted them to any threats, they continued on.

"So far, so good."

"The closer we get to Frank's home, the less we'll have to worry about. The Mayor will be well guarded."

"It got quiet pretty fast though," said McHorn. Jack adjusted his pants for comfort and kicked a small chunk of ice with his left foot, sending it pinging off of a stop sign.

"This is the calm of dread, Mike. We're still very much deep in the fight."

"Oh, I'm aware..." Jack turned his attention to the tickling in his left hip.

"My phone is going off. Let's see what news we got." The news came from Gregory's phone. Concerned but relieved to make contact, he opened the message and stopped:

"This is Judy. I am with our friend, Gregory. We caught Wieselton. Bringing him in. Keep fighting, Love."

"Always," he muttered.

"What's up?" Mchorn turned his large frame to jack, his ears twitching with curiosity.

"We caught one of Big's. Wieselton. I'll learn more later. But this is good. It looks like Nick's intel was spot on. He was being honest with us."

"I guess it is safe to count him as a real ally then," concluded McHorn. "I had my doubts given his history."

"So did I. But he gave us names and whatever knowledge he had, so we'll continue to run with it. The quicker we can put a stop to all of this the better."

"My partner, Fangmeyer, likes him." Jack laughed,

"They were getting pretty cozy with each other when Fangmeyer wasn't tending to Chief Bogo's wounds." McHorn pointed ahead. The rows of houses began to thin and the streets widened creating a chasm between two neighborhoods. Far ahead at the top of this chasm was a rounded street on a small hill known as the Bear's Snout.

"Is that the place?"

"Yes." Jack pointed to a red brick home. It stretched nearly the length of the circled hill and sat two stories tall. It's rooftop sloped with a pointed center. Along the house, Jack counted 12 guards standing in a row along the entire front perimeter of the home. Otters, seals, and penguins. All species built for the cold, ready to snuff out any hint of a threat.

"Mr. Savage. Familiar or not, arms up and no movements," commanded a stout penguin. Three guards, one of each species, stepped forward and readied a hand near their weapon. Jack nodded and did as instructed. McHorn wasted no time complying, but he raised his arms slowly.

"Good to see the elites."

"Sir, we hope to never see active duty, if you know what I mean." The otter began checking Jack for identification. A seal did the same to McHorn. Jack raised his head and looked at the cloudy evening sky.

"Yes, I know." Hands patted him, stopping momentarily on his pistol. McHorn was given similar treatment and the seal grunted upon grabbing Mchorn's weapon. They were held for several more minutes as their identification was checked. Jack raised his head to see a meerkat peeking out a window from the second floor.

"Jack! Come in." The guard that confiscated Jack's weapon handed it back to him and after a moment, they parted like curtains, allowing him and McHorn entry to the house. McHorn gave the nearest guards a friendly grunt of approval.

They entered at a leisurely pace. The warm air of the interior instantly improved Jack's mood. Frank rushed to them as they stood just inside the entrance.

"Good to see you're alright!" He waved and shook McHorn's large hand while he looked at Jack. Jack mentally chided him for it. Frank always had an issue with looking directly at the person he was greeting. To Jack, it was a sign of dishonesty. Intentional or not.  _If you shake someone's hand or paw, look at them!_ Jack returned Frank's greeting before allowing his to eyes wander the home.

The main hall of the mini-mansion was cushioned with a plush brown rug. Pictures of Frank with local and international officials hung on the far walls near the back center staircase. The unappealing outer exterior of red brick could have been camouflage for what was otherwise a beautiful home.

"Everyone is buzzing, Frank."

"So I hear. Let's go see the Mayor." He guided Jack and Mike to the second floor to a guarded door. The bear guarding the entrance nodded upon seeing Frank and stepped aside after briefly eyeing his guests.

"Is the Mayor alright?" asked McHorn.

"A little scratched up, but we managed to protect him from any serious harm. I tell you the whole event was bizarre." Jack listened to two voices behind the door as Frank knocked. Some kind of light-hearted argument was taking place. After a moment, the door opened. Lighter spots of grazed fur here and there from where he received minor injuries were still noticeable on Mayor Lionheart's face. Jack caught him wincing as he moved, indicating other unseen injuries.

"Jack? What are you doing here?" Jack's ears lowered. The quickening pace of his heart drummed in his ears. This was going to be awkward. The Mayor was the one responsible for his employers. The boss of his bosses. He would have to confess his unsanctioned one mammal investigation into Big. He lost the nerve to verbalize his thoughts and froze in a flash of heat.

Behind Lionheart, a fox leaned to get a better view of the guests. The old tod sat with a curious expression in a sturdy wooden chair by a red table. He gave a lazy salute to Jack when they made eye contact. But in the rush of spiking anxiety, the impromptu hello only filled Jack with inexplicable dread.

"Mr. Mayor," Frank sighed. "We have a lot to discuss." Frank placed a paw on Jack's shoulder and pointed to McHorn, "The five of us." A wary growl rumbled deep in Lionheart's chest.

"You know I don't like secrets unless I'm the one keeping them."

"I owe you many explanations," said Jack hastily. He folded his hands in front of him and shelled up on his paws. McHorn took a step forward, prompting the group to head inside.

"Mr. Mayor–"

"This will get confusing really fast," the Mayor interjected. "So I will take charge in questioning." The room was silent. Tension evident in the lion's voice. "First, this fox here is my political rival and an interesting fellow. His name is Dr. Frank Cunningham." Dr. Cunningham waved politely and smiled at McHorn and Jack saying,

"A pleasure." Lionheart sat on the edge of the large guest bed.

"Now, I hope that one of you has an answer as to why I was attacked? Or maybe even who? After all, Jack, you are a Lead Investigative Official. For all of Zootopia. Surely you must have figured out something." Lionheart's words were loaded with bitterness. Jack wondered how much of his behavior had gotten around. Or was the Mayor still fuming about the attack itself?

"Mr. Mayor, someone tried to poison you and your family. We do not yet know how, but we think we know why." Jack gestured to McHorn with a thumb, "Officer McHorn here uncovered some interesting evidence in a street encounter with a corrupt officer."

"And who is 'we?'" Lionheart leaned forward, eyes boring a hole through Jack.

"For the last five months, I have been investigating an organized crime boss in Zootopia. Arthur Bigsby. Or more commonly known as, 'Mr. Big.'" Frank paced the room slowly. A sour expression plastered on his muzzle. Mayor Lionheart shook his head.

"I haven't heard from Sedgewick about any case involving a Bigsby. Why couldn't he be left to local law enforcement? Why did you feel the need to pursue him and what does he want?"

"Sedgewick and Jason ignored my warnings about Big. All of my superiors claimed I was 'overreacting.' But in the five months since I began investigating him there have been several disappearances, a spike in corrupt business trades, extortion, murders, bribery, corruption of officers, business closings. Even theft from Zootopia's very own elite police squads!" Regaining his nerve, Jack braced himself for the Mayor's second round of questioning. He clenched his jaw.

"I know of a few of these incidents, yes. But all from one mammal?"

"He has a very large underground network on his side, Sir," said Frank.

"There is corruption in your cabinet, Mayor Lionheart. And with the dismissal of my warnings, I saw no other option. I couldn't ignore someone I saw to be a very threat to the city. I admit that I went rogue and influenced a few officers to help me in my fight against Big." Mayor Lionheart slapped his knees with frustration and allowed his paws to hang limp.

"You're telling me that I have corruption in my office and I never caught onto it? Do you think me a fool?" Jack stepped back as Lionheart stood up and puffed his chest.

"Of course not! Please, be reasonable..."

"I nearly had my head torn off by my wife. She is now under evaluation in a psych ward and the city is being gutted by this...Arthur Bigsby. I can't even go shit without permission because of all the security surrounding me. Had you the sense to come to me directly, I could have persuaded Jason and Sedgewick to support you in your investigation, rabbit!"

"Excuse me," Dr. Cunningham motioned to speak. McHorn had reflexively stepped closer to Jack, to shield him from Lionheart's outrage. Embarrassed, Jack partially stepped behind McHorn. The nervousness was so intense and confusing. He could stare down hardened criminals from home and abroad. But the disapproval of his boss struck him with terror.

"In the interest of being diplomatic, it is hard for one mammal to have taken on such a burden by himself. It is true he may have overlooked an important ally in you, Mr. Mayor, but his intentions are worthy of recognition. He is clearly passionate about doing the right thing and I see no use in arguing amongst our allies."

"Oh please," scoffed Lionheart. "Try saying that when you're not trying to win votes." Dr. Cunningham scowled and turned his gaze away haughtily.

"I'll say it any day of the week."  _I'm really beginning to like foxes,_  thought Jack. Stone shuffled toward the door and said,

"I'll go and get us some refreshments aye? I have peach and beet juice." He scurried off to the mumbling approval of the room.

"Dr. Cunningham," said McHorn, "I found some strange concoction in an ex-officer's pocket. The syringe busted in our fight. I gathered up as much of it as I could, but the sample is most likely contaminated with fibers and my DNA because the liquid got on my fingers, and other foreign particles. But maybe you could help make sense of this? Are you good with chemicals?" Dr. Cunningham nodded thoughtfully while Lionheart sat back down and whimpered to himself.

"This officer you fought. How was he behaving?"

"Like a wild bear. Completely out of control. Heightened aggression..."

"That's just like Mrs. Lionheart!" Cunningham leapt to his feet excited. "What else can you tell me?"

"Um..."

"Flowers!" Jack interrupted.

"Flowers?" All eyes turned to Jack, hungry for information.

"Officer Hopps, she mentioned something about a gang of weasels raiding a farm she grew up on. They bought all of a certain kind of flower several weeks ago. And that the flower they took was a toxic species."

"Oh right, the officer yelled something about a serum. Or medicine," said McHorn. "And he said it was for Big's family or something."

"Is there an antidote?" Mayor Lionheart shouted.

"No idea. I will have to get a good sample for myself. Or at least have another subject to see the effects and what can be done for a cure. I still have medical contacts." An air of hope was beginning to cut the tension in the room. Jack smiled. McHorn approached Cunningham,

"Dr., I am worried about the Chief of Police, Bogo. He has suffered injuries and was wondering if you could have a look at him?"

"Oh, sure. Where is he?"

"Everyone is holed up in Jack's home because of the attack." Frank returned with the drinks and set them on the table next to Dr. Cunningham. The two Frank's sat together as the mammals slowly selected the desired beverage and settled in. Jack and McHorn unrolled more of what they remembered from their adventures thus far, doing their best to bring the Mayor up to speed. At one point, Jack confessed to suspecting the Mayor himself of being corrupt because of all the failed convictions against many of Big's allies. But he took the news well enough to Jack's relief.

There hasn't been any further word from Gregory or Judy since Jack had received the message about Wieselton's capture. Their silence began to intrude on his train of thought.

"Jack," said Lionheart, "I want you to speak with Jason and Sedgewick at once. They were tracking events since the attacks began four days ago. I will send them a notice. The city is swarming with elite forces prepared to defend possible sites of future attacks." This was good news. With officers out in force, there might be a chance to keep Zootopia on its feet. But the late notice was still a mood dampener to Jack. He tried to respond with confidence, but could only manage a sheepish nod. Lionheart rolled his eyes and brushed his hair with his nails.

"S-Sir, I really did try..."

"Just forget it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. See your superiors in two days. Nothing else matters. And if anyone can locate my fucking assistant Dawn..."

"Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether is missing?" asked Jack.

"Since the attack. I lost track of her at the diner. And she never responded to any of my attempts to reach her."

"Alright..." This was interesting news to Jack and it set the gears in his head turning.

"Dr. Cunningham, will you accompany us back to Jack's in Savanna?" asked McHorn. The fox gulped the last of his drink and sighed with satisfaction.

"Yes. Whenever you're ready. The Mayor is in good health. He will remain guarded here. I am free to roam. I have no other information to offer him and exhausted my usefulness."

"Mayor!" Lionheart sat up with a start.

"What!? What is it, rabbit?"

"I urge you to investigate Bellwether at once! Go through everything she owns. Order an investigation against her!" He softened upon recognizing he was shouting at the boss of his bosses then said, "Please..." Mayor Lionheart growled with annoyance.

"How long have you been following all of this again?"

"Going on six months," said Jack. Lionheart lowered his gaze. Though he was stubborn, he knew when to accept advice and to Jack's relief said,

"I'll do it. Don't forget your meeting in two days."

"Yes, Sir. I'm glad you're safe." In truth, he wished Dr. Cunningham was mayor.

An hour's travel might as well have been ten minutes. Jack was so lost in thought on his novel theory regarding Bellwether that he barely heard a word spoken by McHorn and Dr. Cunningham. It was going to be a hard sell to others outside of the investigation, but he knew he had hooked onto something plausible. He just needed tangible evidence against Bellwether.

It didn't take long once he finally arrived back home to see events swinging at a quickening pace once more. Fangmeyer, Nick, and a now up and about weak Chief Bogo were watching the television with stunned expressions. Their bodies stiff like they were store props posing at a window. Arthur Bigsby was on the television:

"It has been a long time coming, but the old rule must come to its end. I am here to father a new Zootopia. Those who comply will be rewarded beyond their imagination. And I am opening up positions for my cabinet. Tonight I am here to propose a new constitution. A new rule of law. Obey and be rewarded. Resistance will not be tolerated. The docks of Zootopia are now under my control. Any attempt to cause a disturbance will be met with swift action. As I speak, the climate wall responsible for the well-being of hundreds of thousands of mammals in this wonderful city is now under my control as well. Should my claim to power be rejected, judgment will be swift on any who deny it." Jack barely restrained himself from leaping toward the television in an attempt to grab him.

He went deaf as Big spouted his demands, focusing more on the locations he mentioned; the docks, the climate wall. Yes, there would be resistance. What little faith Jack had in the system rested on the officers willing to stand against Big.

Dr. Cunningham introduced himself to the group after the feed cut. He spoke with Chief Bogo and offered to do a private health check in the bathroom, away from the noise and small uproar over Big's public display. Jack rushed to his bedroom.

"Judy?" She was nowhere to be found. With rising worry, he took large steps over to Nick back in the main room.

"Nick! Weren't you with Judy?" Nick's tail bristled and immediately clung to a leg as he turned to Jack.

"Yes. She was forced to stay behind at the station in the Rainforest District because of her injuries." His body language hinted at there being more. And Jack's patience was at its end.

"What am I not being told?" He stared at the nervous fox. Nick's ears flattened to his head and he avoided Jack's gaze. "Nick?"

"Sir, I think it is best if she told you herself." The hint of sadness in Nick's voice was enough to snap any remaining patience the hare had. He grabbed Nick by the collar of his shirt in an unconscious act of interrogation and shouted,

"What happened to Judy? Tell me!" Nick raised his arms protectively.

"She was ambushed. I did everything I could to protect her. I was late, but she's going to be okay! She is in the Rainforest Police Department getting treatment!" Jack leaned his head on Nick's scrawny shoulder, fighting to contain his panic.

"She's not answering my calls..."

"Sir, it was a difficult encounter with Wieselton. You have to talk to Judy yourself. Please let her decide when to do that. It might be a delicate issue for her."

"Now I have even worse thoughts running through my head."

"While we're on the subject of missing people, where is Fin–" A high pitched chirp cut Nick's question. He looked at his phone: "Nick! Come to Big's Bar and Limo. I'll see you there. I can't do it alone. Let's get that fat bastard. Don't wuss out on me."

"Finnick..."

 


	27. No Matter What Happens

" _Just be proud of me_."

Nick rushed to Fangmeyer in the main room.

"Jennifer." She tilted her head curiously and whined as she was pulled away from Mchorn and Chief Bogo.

"Nick, sweetie, what is it?" He pulled her close and planted a hard kiss. He made his decision within seconds of reading Finnick's text and he didn't want to risk his life without communicating his affection for Fangmeyer.

"I need Officer Fangmeyer. I need her now," he said. She blinked in surprise,

"We'll need privacy and I don't think–"

"No, not that!" Nick laughed. "Sexy Fangmeyer comes some other time. Right now I need Officer Fangmeyer. The white wolf that saved me during a robbery. Finnick disappeared." She froze for a moment.

"If one of ours is missing, McHorn and Jack should come too."  _Ours_ , she said. She Barely knew the loud-mouthed Finnick and already Fangmeyer was willing to treat him like one of her friends. Was this how officers treated their own? Or was it a wolf thing? In any case, Nick's endearment for her grew with every moment.

"No! I don't want to trouble everyone because of him. But I'll feel safer with you by my side. Only you." Fangmeyer gave Nick a soft lick on the top of his muzzle then lowered her gaze. He smiled, warming to the affectionate kiss. "The others have jobs to do. Everybody's got a mission or something. I don't want to be another burden on them. Finnick is my burden to bear. He's my best friend. The closest thing left to family I have."

"We noticed he was gone, but it must have been very recently. He couldn't have gotten far. Even stranger still, the tiger is gone as well. We were about to figure out how to go about hunting them down, but then Big came on the air. Regardless, they both know where we live. And we're concerned for a number of reasons." Nick peeked around her. Jack had retreated to his room, troubled by Judy's silence. Bogo conversed with McHorn on a couch near the reinforced windows. Cunningham listened to the conversation between Bogo and McHorn, occasionally chiming in on the subject of toxic flowers. Nick looked up at the wolf he had fallen in love with through blurred eyes. He couldn't tell her the whole truth. Everyone was already on alert to his disappearance. He couldn't string them along and put them in premature danger. He needed to do something for himself. No more being a victim. No more being saved. Nick was beginning to understand why Finnick had wandered off. It was time for the foxes to defend themselves.

"I honestly don't know where he is going." A lie. But a necessary one. "I can't leave him. I can't." He choked on his voice. Crying hurt. "That pain in the ass is my family. But it doesn't have to take all of us to go after him. Just me and you. Or maybe just me..." Fangmeyer wrapped her arms around him, trying to soothe the rising panic out of Nick.

"I'll get some weapons. Enough for two of us. But I have to explain it to the others. I have my duties as well, Nicholas." Nick bitterly accepted her reasoning and glanced back to everyone else in the room. Bogo looked at him once, but he swiftly turned back to speaking to Mchorn.

"Fine," said Nick. "I'm going on ahead. I know him best anyway. And I'll see about contacting him."

"Nick, you know that I can't just leave without letting them know what is going on." Nick shook his head,

"I know. I'm making a selfish and stupid request. But can you at least give me a chance to have some space and time for myself?" Jennifer stared blankly. "It's a fox thing." Jennifer scoffed,

"I'm going to give you a twenty-minute head start. After that, I'm hauling ass after you." Nick nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Keep contact with your phone." Nick turned away without a word to the others and walked down the entrance hall of Jack's apartment. He listened one last time to the security device humming through the wall and mumbled playfully, "Showoff." Nick turned the handle with a strange reverence as if it might be the last time he did so and began his journey to Tundratown.

* * *

Fonnis stumbled forward for the umpteenth time as he entered the tunnel leading to TundraTown. Finnick proudly poked the bound tiger with his bat.

"This is a long walk, but every step brings us closer," he growled.

"I want to kill him too," said Fonnis. His l's rolled in a thick accent.

"Yeah, yeah." Finnick knew he could be incredibly stubborn. But after everything that's happened, he finally had a shift in perspective. It hurt his pride. But to embrace Judy as a real friend was liberating. It was as if he wore new skin and shed the old like a snake. Still, his feelings were raw. The old wounds of his ego throbbed in his chest and mind.

He focused that rage. The self-loathing, the disappointment, personal failures and newfound humility toward someone that deserved to feel real pain. _I'll kill you, Big. Most likely I'll die trying. But I'll get my paws on you. Sink my teeth into you. Get your brains on my bat. Cops will do what they gotta. And so will I._

Finnick left several bait messages and a voicemail to Big just before he snuck out of Jack's home. After his voicemail, Big finally responded and agreed to meet at Big's Bar and Limo after his public speech. Big was overjoyed to hear from Finnick and was prepared to talk about punishment for Nick for his abandonment. That was the bait. The trick to lure Big. If there was one thing Finnick learned about the shrew, he always held his grudges and loved to be repaid.

Finnick turned his attention to the shackled tiger he guided in front of him. The chains on his wrists and ankles rattled as he walked. The ankle part was Finnick's idea to the disapproval of half of his group. Judy and Jack, of course, considered it excessive. But to Finnick's surprise, Jack relented after some persuading. McHorn stood firm with Judy. Nick and Fangmeyer broke the tie in a vote and the tiger was bound above and below.

"You're going to enter the bar first." Over the forty minute walk to Tundratown, Fonnis made no attempt to flee or escape. But Finnick meditated on keeping himself detached. He had done Big's dirty work for a long while. There was no trusting a trained killer. Even now. There was no room for error. No more room to trust any stranger. Fonnis was a pawn. Expendable. Attempts to converse were cut short or ignored.

Finnick stopped just a block away from the bar. The early morning night was beginning to give way to dawn. The weak hue of blue was not yet strong enough to illuminate the streets. But in front of Big's Bar and Limo, as if rising with the Dawn stood Big and his bear Kevin. When Big saw them he scowled.

"What is the meaning of this?" With a hard swipe from behind, Finnick smashed the side of the tiger's right knee, sending him down in a cry of pain. He then swung his bat in an overhead arc slamming it on the tiger's skull. Fonnis fell face first to the ground as his body crumpled forward. Finnick hit the tiger three more times, cracking his head open like a jelly-filled coconut. Kevin attempted to lunge forward, but Big held up a paw stilling him.

Hiding his anxiety behind meditated rage, Finnick stood firm, just two inches taller than Big. He stared with blood and mucus dripping from the edge of his bat.

"Hello, Father Big. How about we go inside for a drink and a chat?" A soft but cold artificial breeze flew past. Big looked at the tire and bottle sculpture that made up his logo just above the entrance to his business.

"Yes. Let's..." Kevin barred Finnick from getting close to Big, standing between them as they entered the bar.

"It is funny you wanted to come here, Finnick. I have plans for later. The birth of a new Zootopia! I am going to swear people in." Finnick mocked a chuckle. He looked around the empty bar and noticed the upturned chairs, sleeping lights, and deafening silence thanks to the cushioned walls.

"Father Big, please forgive the display. I have news about Nick's abandonment and other events." Big gave Finnick a scrutinizing scowl. His ponderance filled the silence with a tension that tested Finnick's patience. But he stood firm with his mask.

"Alright. I know you've always been loyal and good. Tell me this news."

"First, the tiger. That tiger was a turncoat. He confided in me and tried to confess to the police. As you saw, he was bound in cuffs. Those are official police cuffs."

"Fonnis was the leader of a very skilled group of gatherers in my Family. I am more than a little upset at this."

"I understand, but please know that he did plan on betraying you." Big walked to the back of the bar counter while he weighed Finnick's words with a bob of his head.

"Kevin. Remain outside. Keep a lookout for us, huh?" The bear nodded in silence and with uncertain steps, lumbered to the exit. He paused on the handle as he turned back to Big and Finnick. Finnick averted his gaze. If he pressed eye contact, he worried he would tip the bear off. He needed to look relaxed.

"Don't worry, Kevin. Finnick is one of ours," Big rasped. A breath of relief escaped Finnick as Kevin left the bar. Big placed a bottle of viper on the counter and turned to Finnick with an outstretched arm.

"Finnick, give me your bat." Damn it. He doesn't trust me. There was a moment of hesitation. Not good. He knew that Big saw him hesitate. Finnick focused on concealing his alarm and slowly lowered the bat. "Why are you hesitating?" Big plainly asked. Finnick forced a smile,

"Sorry. I got distracted."

"By what?" Big finally took the bat, deftly pulling it out of Finnick's weak grasp with his skinny pink fingers. He slowly twirled it on its handle in his hand and examined the splintered wood and blood.

"It's been a difficult week since the changes."

"That doesn't answer my question. But it does bring up an important topic. Come!" Finnick cringed as Big draped an arm over him and pulled him to the counter, digging his pink skinny fingers into Finnick's shirt. "Sit and drink with me. I'm having a sheep problem." Big casually flung the bat across his bar. It bounced off of a metal support beam, sending a hollow hum vibrating through the air as it clattered on the ground.

"Sheep?" Finnick took a glass and began pouring for himself.

"Yes. I fear I may have trusted the wrong sheep. And now I have sick family running through the streets. Some of their hearts gave out to the adrenaline from the serum. Others have gone completely mad. The Mayor's assistant lied to me. She poisoned my people. But I see potential in this weapon. I still believe in it. She must have given me too high a dosage." So it was all true, what the officers have said. What Nick has said. This chaos was Big's work. Finnick's face sunk. He wanted to hide his shame behind his ears with the word fool branded on them in big red letters.

A jingle in the silence disrupted the conversation. Finnick's eyes met the suspicious Bigsby's as he waited.

"Go ahead." Finnick lowered his gaze to his phone and opened the text message: "I'm almost there. Don't do anything stupid!" Finnick sighed,

"It's Nick..." A scowl pulled down Big's face.

"I need to have a one-on-one with him. Can you bring him to me?"  _No. Not my brother. Not my family._

For as long as he could remember, Finnick treated others poorly. And he stood behind the defense of wanting to survive. Or having bad luck. He was impatient, scared, hostile. In the rare instances when he did find himself charitable and decent, the effects of his actions went unnoticed. And when good things did come to him in turn, he felt next to nothing. Because good things were so rare to him, he took it with suspicion. Goodness and kindness slipped through his fingers like sand. And the remaining grains of it only irritated him. He lived for so long thinking the world owed him something. And he almost let it turn him into the beast that stood in front of him. But in this moment he recognized a real threat. Real evil. And he couldn't let it go unchallenged. His unlucky life wasn't enough to twist him into something this sinister. And Nick, who shared most of his bad luck, managed to take the hits far better. He couldn't let that love be corrupted. Not Nick. Never.

Finnick grabbed the half-empty bottle of viper that stood on the bar and lunged at Arthur Bigsby.

* * *

Nick hit the call button for the second time on Finnick's name after he left a message. And again it went straight to voicemail. Urged by panic, he sprinted through the tunnel leading to Tundratown.

"I should...exercise more." He began panting fairly quickly, but wouldn't let up. Nothing mattered but Finnick. Desperate, he reached for his phone again and searched for "Wolfy" in his contacts.

"Jennifer! I'm going to Tundratown. Big's Bar and Limo. Bring those guns."

"Alright, wait...Big's?" Nick cut the call and slowed to a speed walk. His chest drummed and stung with the pinch of exhaustion. It was quiet save for a few cars rolling through the tunnel. No matter what, some mammals always tried to reset into a normal routine even with the city under threat. Nick mentally gave an FU to his problems being put in perspective by the logical half of his brain. This was his lifelong friend he was thinking about. And right now, he was on a suicide mission trying to save Zootopia. How was that for perspective? Had Finnick only waited. Had he not snuck out...

"You're always such a troublemaker," Nick whined to nobody.

The wide arch gate that led into Tundratown stood proud and large like a giant's yawning mouth. But there was no awe or marvel in the grand construction. Not tonight. The cold was uninviting. It bit through Nick's fur and made his teeth ache. He pressed on until he approached the front of Big's Bar and Limo.

In front of him, two fading footprints in the snow stopped where a spatter of blood lay. A body, large it seems, had been moved. Nick let go of a held breath when he determined that it wasn't Finnick. He certainly didn't see any giant ear prints in the snow. He faintly smiled, but his compulsion for humor sometimes made him sick. There was no one around.

"No. How late am I?" Terror threatened to paralyze Nick as he took another step closer to the entrance of Big's business. He contemplated waiting for Fangmeyer. But this only lasted a brief moment. Using anger as motivation, he charged forward through the doors.

Chairs were scattered about. There was broken glass on the ground and sunlight began to fill in from the ceiling windows. It was quiet.

"Come on, bro, where–" Nick jumped to the sound of a wet cough. "Finnick!" On the ground with his back to the bar counter, blocked off by two broken stools and other debris sat Finnick. Blood pooled on his torn shirt. His eyes were half open.

"No," mumbled Finnick. Nick didn't feel the sharp ends of broken wood cutting into his paws as he yanked away the debris burying his friend.

"Aww, come on!" He knelt forward, carefully trying to work out how to grab Finnick without hurting him.

"Don't cry..."

"Shut up!" Nick darted his eyes around Finnick's bloodied body. He peeked around Finnick's back and shuddered. A wooden stick pierced through his back. He lifted Finnick's shirt and to his dismay, saw the wood's end protruding out through his abdomen on the left side. Finnick's head slowly slumped forward.

"Please, don't leave...me," cried Nick. He couldn't remove Finnick without him bleeding to death. But if Finnick remained stuck there, there was little doubt that he would meet the same end. Finnick sputtered his breath as he tried to speak.

"S-stop...crying and just be pr-proud of me." Nick closed his tear stricken eyes, pressing his forehead to Finnick's and moved in for an embrace. "I got to...hurt him, I did."

"You did the right thing," said Nick. "I am proud of you!" Nick didn't dare to look at him. He stared at the brown wall of the bar counter inches from his face as he desperately wrapped his arms around Finnick. His body shook with pained breaths in Nick's arms.

"I love you," mumbled a weak Finnick.

"Finnick?" No response but a sigh as he went limp in Nick's arms. "F-Fin?" Dread tore through Nick's chest. His voice lost to sorrow. He remained paralyzed in grief, forced to let his cries be his final farewell to Finnick.


	28. Painful Choices

Soft footsteps approached Nick from behind. He didn't budge. The scent was familiar. Perhaps out of respect, the bar remained silent as Nick shuddered a breath, clutching desperately to the deceased Finnick. He froze to the feeling of Fangmeyer's large paws gently pressing down on his shoulders. She sniffled.

  
“There is a trail outside. I have to follow it. This is murder. I'm calling it in.” Nick slowly loosened his grip on Finnick, prompted by the ache in his knees to adjust his position. He sat back, his heartache growing with each second. Fangmeyer whined and kissed him, burying her snout into the fur on his neck. Nick reached behind him and stroked her muzzle.  
  
“We've had our petty little fights as friends do, but there was never any room for malice. We always grouped back up the next day or whatever.”  
  
“Nick...”  
  
“Do you really think we can win?” He turned to look at Fangmeyer. She looked as proud as usual, save for the grim sorrow in her eyes.  
  
“We have special forces working in different districts. Big has lost lots of people to the effects of this drug he is pushing – if Jack's theory proves right. Despite Big's ramblings on TV, It shouldn't be too much longer. No criminal has ever come out of something like this and won.”  
  
“Well, 'should' is not good enough. I thought that if I stayed with you guys there would be some safety. But no matter what, he finds us.” Nick slowly rose to his feet. “I should confront Big.”  
  
“No. Not on your own!” Fangmeyer clutched Nick tight as if he were her favorite stuffed toy.  
  
“Let's do this the right way. Nick, come back with me. You have to be patient.”  
  
“I don't know what to do!” Nick wiped his face with his paws, smoothing down the fur and drying his eyes. Jennifer took one brief look at Finnick. He was placed on his back, arms at his sides. His blood stained Nick's shirt and pants. She picked up her phone and called in the murder while keeping a careful eye on their surroundings. Nick continued to remain next to Finnick, hoping that Big or someone close to Big would show up. But they must have made a swift exit, judging by the scene leading outside. At least this was the conclusion Fangmeyer drew as she investigated a spatter of blood by the side exit.  
  
The entrance to the bar was soon blocked off. As officers and paramedics arrived to claim Finnick and investigate, Nick began to think it strange that Big would leave the scene so hastily.  
  
He took one final look at Finnick before he was carted away after pictures and questioning. Fangmeyer deflected other officer's attempts to coax Nick into an ambulance or a police car by lying to them. The gun Fangmeyer slipped into his pants when they were leaving was little courage. No longer having the sight of Finnick's body in the bar, Nick hurried to Fangmeyer's side. Finnick gloating that he hurt Big was echoing in his head.  
  
“Nick. Let's go...”  
  
“Don't let me go,” he whispered. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders as she walked him out of the bar.  
  
“I'll shoot anyone that dares to try to separate us.” Jennifer raised a paw as they neared a street corner and waited for a cab. Nick leaned into her soft body.  
  
“I have to get back to work tomorrow. The Rainforest District's Police Department needs me. SWAT is going to the climate wall to attack that escaped convict, Thomas Pohc.” Nick scowled at the news.  
  
“I think he got Big. Finnick must have hurt him!”  
  
'You think so?”  
  
“You said there was probably a fast retreat from the scene. Finnick said he hurt him. That he hurt Big. If so, then Big must have been rushed away by someone else.” Nick jogged to the back of the bar, but officers were still present as they investigated. He growled in annoyance. Fangmeyer already risked enough for him by slipping him a weapon and tugging him away from nosy investigators. He didn't want to subject Fangmeyer or himself to any further scrutiny and stepped back, disheartened.  
  
“Let's go, Nick. There's nothing left to do here.”  
  
“We should pursue them,” said Nick. “He's hurt. We can catch him.”  
  
“Be patient. Let the officers do their jobs.” Nick kicked a wave of snow into the air in frustration and turned to Fangmeyer with his paws balled into fists.  
  
“If I stay, what could I do? I have nothing! Finnick is gone! He's...gone.” Fangmeyer slumped her shoulder's and sniffled. Her stuttering breath's caught Nick's attention.  
  
“Nick, please stay with me. I love you. Don't go anywhere. You said to not let you go.”  
  
“Jennifer...” A car horn briefly squeaked beside them. The small brown vehicle sat idle in Nick's peripheral vision. It honked again as Jennifer attempted to reach out to Nick. He let her pull him close, once again feeling conflicted on whether to stay or run. Her comfort was too alluring. Submitting to the moment, Nick allowed himself to become dependent on her false promise of security, safety, and maybe a chance at winning.  
  
When they returned to Jack's home, the other's were asleep, save for an alert Jack Savage. Jennifer had called ahead and explained the situation, so there were no surprises regarding what happened with Finnick. As she retired to a guest room, Nick and Jack were left the only ones awake. He felt awkward standing as a guest in the hare's home.  
  
“Thank you,” said Jack.  
  
“For what?” Nick weakly asked.  
  
“For staying.” Nick sighed,  
  
“Just leave it. I got nothing to offer.”  
  
“Then shut up and stay safe. We need each other and you know it.”  
  
“I'm tired.” Nick followed after Fangmeyer when Jack said,  
  
“Judy called. Finally. She'll be here soon.” He paused by the door and felt a surprise wash of relief.  
  
“Okay,” said Nick and retreated to the room. 

 

* * *

 

  
Jack sat on his white couch, nervously tapping with his left foot. He waited for news from Sedgewick and Jason about the meetup the Mayor had ordered. Dr.Cunningham rested with his head down on the polished black dining table near the kitchen. Growing more restless and peckish, Jack wandered to the kitchen and opened his wooden container where he kept fruit.  
  
“Shit. Someone ate my peaches.” He swiftly looked at his phone as it chimed with an alert: “Though the Mayor scheduled we meet tomorrow, we need you in immediately! – Jason.”  
  
“So you do...” Jack suddenly stopped upon exiting the kitchen. Standing to his right, dejected and shaken, was Judy. She turned her face away from him.  
  
“Oh!” Jack rushed in and wrapped her in a hug. But she curled her shoulder's and squeaked with discomfort. The reaction hit Jack with a pang of remorse.  
  
“Sorry,” she said. “It's me. I'm not okay.” He gave her a foot of space and glared at her. Terrible scenarios of what Judy endured played in his mind.  
  
“Is there anything I can do?” Jack desperately asked. Judy stumbled forward as her legs buckled. Whatever happened to her left her weak. And seeing Judy, a strong cheerful officer, reduced to someone that looked so defeated and meek stung Jack with fury.  
  
“I need rest. I'll need a few days of it. Doctor's orders.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“I was ambushed and...” Judy blinked tears from her eyes. “I was trapped and almost died. Nick saved me. Gregory saved me.” Gingerly, Jack tried to approach her. She relaxed this time, but still she quivered in his embrace.  
  
“Don't say another word. I have an idea now, based on your body language.”  
  
“They buried me alive, and Duke–” she cried unable to speak through her sobs.  
  
“Shh. Stop. Please.” He kissed her neck, burying his nose in the crook of her shoulder. She buried her face in his, taking deep breaths and slowly calming down.  
  
'Just sit with me please?” asked Judy.  
  
“Anything, Love. Anything.” He guided her to the couch. Judy leaned on him for support with every step.  
  
“Duke confessed to shipping the chemicals Big needed for his weapons. He mentioned a sheep named Doug.” Jack gently stroked her ears as she rested with her head on his lap. Dr. Cunningham stirred on the table and lifted his head.  
  
“I have strong suspicions about someone very powerful,” said Jack. “But I can tell you more later. First, I need to meet up with my bosses.” Judy whimpered,  
  
“Today?”  
  
“Yes. I might have good news to bring back.” He continued to stroke her ears, finally getting a smile out of her. Her positive reaction was encouraging. _She should only have smiles_ , he thought.  
  
“This feels so nice.”  
  
“Agent Savage, Sir, I will be heading off to meet with a chemist regarding the sample Officer McHorn gave me.”  
  
“Good to hear, Dr. Cunningham. Oh and if I haven't told you before, you won my vote.” The fox laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
“Much appreciated!” He smiled and gave a nod to Judy.  
  
“Judy, this good fellow is a retired doctor and is running for mayor. He is going to help us find a cure for the drugs being pushed by Big. Dr. Cunningham, Judy is a fine officer who recently ran into some serious trouble on the job. She needs rest and if you could help in any way, can you please offer some assistance?” Jack held Judy's paws in his, adoringly stroking the top of her paw with his thumb. She slowly sat up and edged closer to him on the couch. She reached out to Cunningham as he extended his paw and said,  
  
“I'll do whatever I can to help.”  
  
“Dr, the flower used to make Big's drugs is the midnicampum species. Holicithias.” Cunningham's eyes widened with delight.  
  
“Smart, isn't she?”  
  
“Judy, Chief Bogo and McHorn are heading to the Rainforest District now. They are planning an operation with SWAT to take back control of the climate wall.” She looked at him aghast,  
  
“I've only been gone 16 hours. What happened?”  
  
“Big was on air earlier. He was rambling like a lunatic about taking control of Zootopia. He bragged about the docks and mentioned having people in control of the climate wall. He's lost it. But that is a good thing. It is irrefutable to anyone now, that Big deserves a life sentence when captured. There is no longer an authority that can protect him. He is so certain that he cannot be brought down because of a few bombs and power outages. Fucking idiot...” Judy wearily leaned her head onto Jack.  
  
“Just stay with me for a few more minutes please?” He smiled and kissed her nose.  
  
“Relax here. I'll take you to my bed before I go. You won't be bothered.”  
  
“Jack?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“Where is Nick and Finnick? And Fangmeyer?”  
  
“Nick and Fangmeyer are in the guest room resting. They had a bad morning.” Jack sighed then forced out the words, “We lost Finnick. He was murdered.” Judy squeezed Jack's paw, making him flinch.  
  
“Ow. He snuck out with that tiger. They went after Big and I'm guessing Finnick tried to attack Big or maybe both of them. And he got killed during the attack.”  
  
“He seriously went after Big by himself?” The surprise was still fresh to Jack as well. He never would have thought that Finnick, a hard street fox suspected of collusion with the shrew, would have dared to attack him. And to hear that he did it to stop the assault on the city, no less.  
  
“Yes. I don't know any more than that. But Nick is taking it pretty hard. They must have been closer friends than I knew.”  
  
“I didn't know that either. If anything, Nick always denied his friendship to Finnick when I questioned him about another case. But that was different.” In the ensuing silence, Judy drifted off. Her worn but peaceful expression was a joy to see. Jack lifted her up and carried her to his room. He considered the relationship Nick and Finnick had. Through all this time, this case was becoming more and more personal to everyone involved. Friends were being lost. And Judy, her body language, a sure sign that she...  
  
“Damn it!” _Fuck professionalism, Big and his freaks are done_.  
  
Jack lowered the blinds on his windows, darkening the room. It was a mess with all the visitors huddling up and moving from one place to another. Unlike the others who have been out all night, Jack managed to get some rest in the early morning hours. While the other officers licked their emotional wounds and prepared for the fight for the climate wall, Jack replied to the urgent text received by his superiors. He quickly changed into a casual suit and slipped a taser down his inside jacket pocket. His front door opened then closed. “Bring good news, Cunningham.” Jack followed, intent on collecting everything needed to bring down their targets.

 


	29. Vindication

If Jack could feel any more emotion than he did when he approached the entrance to the MIC, he'd combust into flames. He briskly passed through the lobby, slammed the button to call the elevator and rode it up to the seventh floor. His half a year of rogue investigating was finally going to get the official approval it needed, or so he hoped. There was no force in Zootopia that was going to obstruct him on his path as the elevator doors parted. He dashed to Jason and Sedgewick's office.

  
“Geez! Jack, fix your tie.” Sedgewick was just outside the office when Jack approached. He halted to check himself. His jacket was wrinkled and his shirt bunched up under his tie. Taking a breath and shaking his head at his harried appearance, Jack straightened the shirt and readjusted his tie. Sedgewick was always so judgmental. He had a gift for making others feel like children. Jack found the elk insufferable.  
  
“Let's just get to it,” grumbled Jack. In an uncharacteristically nervous fashion, Sedgewick pushed open the door and started talking rather fast.  
  
“I'm sorry to bring this up so late, Mr. Savage. But we need to get you prepared for your departure soon.” The slack expression of confusion on Jack's face only heightened the inexplicable worry exhibited by Jason, the pig as he was hastily scribbling on a sheet of paper in red ink by the table. Jack closed the door, it's bottom edge leaving its impression on the far too plush purple carpet in the room.  
  
“Departure? Are you joking?”  
  
“No, the news just came in last night. Mayor's orders.” Jack turned to the animated Jason as he held up a large white sheet of paper that read: “PLAY ALONG!” He tentatively took a seat at the desk as Sedgewick settled beside Jason in a chair on the other side.  
  
“Alright, so when is this departure?” Jack glanced at Jason as he gave him a thumbs up. Sedgewick smiled and said,  
  
“Your trip to meet up with your team in the Southlands is to happen in three days. 7:00 P.M Sahara Docks. Understand? I really wish the political quagmire would be over with so that the country there can settle on a damn name.”  
  
“The last I heard from my team, everything was good. In fact, the murder suspects are going on trial soon. That case is almost closed.”  
  
“The key word here, is 'almost.' And we fear that they botched the investigation and you are needed to clean it up.” Jack scoffed,  
  
“You are aware that right now, Zootopia is in flames, yes? And you're considering sending me away? Are you fucking retarded?” Jack focused his gaze back to Jason and saw another note: “THE OFFICES ARE BUGGED! WE SUSPECT BELLWETHER!” At last. Vindication! And though it was Jack's worst fear coming true, he was elated with the news. Everything he had done up to this point was finally being realized by his bosses. Realizing he needed to continue his role, he slammed a fist on the desk and dramatically said,  
  
“I can't believe you're my superiors!”  
  
“Jack!”  
  
“I've a mind to up and quit.”  
  
“Mayor's orders,” shrugged Jason.  
  
“Mayor Lionheart can go fuck himself!” With this, Jack was only partially acting. But they didn't need to know that. He was glad to find a way to express it.  
  
“So, about the other news. We want to apologize. Or at least, we were about to, but now you're busy being an angry jerk.” Sedgewick coughed and offered Jack a mug.  
  
“Coffee?” He looked at Sedgewick as if he asked a stupid question.  
  
“No. I'm a hare.”  
  
“Suit yourself. And don't look at me like that.”  
  
“Are we done here?” Jack gestured to the door by bobbing his head. Jason held up one final note: "FINISH TALK IN HALLWAY. CLEAR." Sedgewick nodded to Jack and took a sip of coffee.  
  
“Yes, we are done. Remember. Three days. 7:00 P.M. Sahara Docks.” Taking advantage of the situation to stealthily express how he really felt about his bosses, he snarled and knocked over a bin near the door containing files and miscellaneous paperwork, shouting,  
  
“Go fuck yourselves!” and slammed the door on his way out. He paced in the hallway as he waited for them to follow him and laughed. “Oh, that was...liberating.” Jason appeared from the office first. He rolled his eyes as Jack struggled to contain the fox-like grin on his face.  
  
“Okay, asshole. Real cute. We admit it. You were right all along. About all of it. But this is bad.”  
  
“The Mayor's cabinet has way too much power. I think this event, along with the election season we're entering is going to shake up how Zootopia operates. Let's hope for the better.” Jason sighed with hands on his hips. The pig shook his head in thought and mumbled,  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“So what is really going to happen at the docks? Did you see that stupid address made by Big as he stole television time?”  
  
“He had people hack into ZNN. We're on it. And we're offering you assistance. Any resources you need. No questions asked.” _Perfect_. Jack had to give them some credit. His bosses knew how to make amends for their lapses in judgment.  
  
“Rifles, scopes, sound amplifiers. Vests. Send it all to my home. Directly. Since the attack, I've been sheltering the Chief of Police and a select few others there. We'll need to do something about these chemical attacks. Tell me about Bellwether.” Sedgewick stomped out of the office,  
  
“Real fucking nice, Jack! Making a mess like that.” Jason jumped in front of Sedgewick,  
  
“Whoa, alright, easy.”  
  
“No, fuck that. He thinks he can rub it in our faces. That wasn't an act.”  
  
“Now is not the time for this.” Sedgewick settled for leaning against the office door with his arms crossed as he simmered behind Jason.  
  
“Getting back to important matters, Bellwether asked a lot of questions about you when she was here. She showed up just a day after the Mayor was attacked. She looked like she was in a hurry. She snooped around, ordered us around as well. Said she was going to be in temporary control because of the Mayor's attack. She demanded that you see to your team in the South. She wants you out of Zootopia bad. And soon after she left, we found that there were mics planted under our desks.” A group of officials strolled past them as they were chatting in the hallway. They remained silent for a moment, waiting for them to clear out before continuing on in hushed voices.  
  
“That creepy sheep has some blood on her hands, I bet,” said Sedgewick. Jack nodded as the missing piece of Bellwether began to strengthen the connections in his investigation.  
  
“I think Bellwether is responsible for the assault and the drugs. She must have been supplying Big with resources and keeping him and his people immune from prosecution. I begged the Mayor to order an investigation into her. I just hope he listens. But hearing that the offices are bugged, Now I'm hoping he didn't say anything to you over the phones.”  
  
'We haven't received any calls other than one to meet with you about your–”  
  
“–secret investigation!” barked Sedgewick. He snorted in disapproval and made a face. Jack only smiled,  
  
“Well, that is a relief. He didn't say too much through any calls.”  
  
'”Check your office,” said Sedgewick. “You might be under extra ears too.”  
  
“I will. And let's see about getting evidence on Bellwether. We're sure to find forged papers and other items that can bring this to an end.”  
  
“We don't take orders from you,” said a guarded Sedgwick.  
  
“Then treat it as a fucking suggestion! Geez.” Jack turned away from them, finally letting the angry elk chafe at his patience.  
  
“Jack, don't worry,” said Jason. “We'll make this right. And expect the stuff this evening.” Jack waved to them both. His confidence hit newfound heights. Jack dashed to his office and began pulling up an old document he was editing with his assistant Selene about his case into Big. Selene had been out of reach since the blackout and Jack was considering giving up reaching out to her. Selene wasn't stupid. She could have fled the city and was merely hiding out. But her silence was beginning to weigh on his thoughts.  
  
Two hours slipped by while he worked in his office, sipping water and snacking on pre-packaged vegetables to keep the energy up. He worked to untangle the knots of his investigation and endeavored to remain quieter than usual, in case there was a bug hidden in his room. He didn't want to hint that something was out of the ordinary. Be boring, do not draw attention to yourself or what you know. His muzzle was shut and his breathing steady. Until a knock on the door startled him. He knocked over an empty cup as he flinched in his chair.  
  
“Who is it?”  
  
“Jack? Your request was put through. Expect an answer later tonight. And you've been selected for the investigation into the...Second in Command. They said you would know what that means.” The voice was familiar. A junior official. One of his subordinates. Jack smiled,  
  
“Thank you, Helena.” The light from his computer's screen began to affect his mood. He rubbed his agitated eyes and paused as he read the page count. “Forty pages. He's really getting up there with war criminals.” Jack saved his file and took in the silence.  
  
He let his thoughts roam about. Dr. Cunningham should be returning soon. Hopefully, Nick hasn't run off. If Jack was going to finish his report, he needed testimonies. Nick would be an excellent voice to add to his file. The loss of Finnick would be a small blow to his report, but by now, there was more than enough to ensure a conviction that could not be denied. But the officers had to regain control of the situation. And there was one thing he needed to do: Investigate Bellwether.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I have it my way, I should finally be done with this story by December! Ten months of work.
> 
> In the last chapter, I will reveal all the stuff that did not make it into the story as it evolved with each chapter I put out.


	30. Turning Tides

Dr. Cunningham slouched forward on one of Jack's black chairs in the dining room. Jack and Nick listened from the couch just across from him as he spoke about the effects of the Midnicampum drug.

"The effects of the plant will vary based on several factors. Some species have a serious reaction to it. Cats and dogs take to the drugs effects well. Bigger animals like the ursidae also take to it well."

"Is this because of how potent the drug is?" Cunningham dangled the glass of water in his paws, entertaining himself with the weight of the glass.

"Probably. We think that the greater your body mass, the more likely you could handle the drug. But in contradiction, rabbits deal with the drug exceptionally well." He looked at Jack and continued, "Perhaps because of where you're from. You're attuned to the environments where these plants grow. Though this means that you will respond to the drug quicker than other mammals, it also means that you are at lower risk of serious health consequences from the drug." Jack smirked. He noticed Nick suddenly staring at him, and tried to pinch the smile away.

"Thinking about juicing up there, Jack?"

"Nope."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did though."

"Foxes, on the other hand," Cunningham said loudly, turning to face Nick, "we do not yet know what happens to foxes when they're infected."

"Actually, there was one black fox that was infected. His hair fell out and he went completely nuts after a while."

"Is there an antidote?" asked Jack.

"Yes," Cunningham gladly said. "McHorn's sample was enough to help work out the details. Judy gave us the exact species of plant used. We isolated the ingredients in the lab and figured out most of how it works and are on our way to mass producing a counter drug." Jack turned to Nick as he listened to Dr. Cunningham.

"Nick."

"Hmm?"

"I want a word with you. Dr. this is good news, thank you. Would you excuse us a moment?" Cunningham shrugged his shoulders,

"Your house, Mr. Savage."

"You're a bundle of manners, Jack," teased Nick.

"See me in my room, with Judy." Nick glanced at Cunningham then gave Jack a perplexed look. He stood up and silently walked to the room, led by Judy. Jack waved a paw to Cunningham, saying,

"Oh, it's nothing bad." Dr. Cunningham shrugged in response then turned his attention to the television in the main room. Jack followed after Nick and Judy to his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Please, have a seat." He gestured to his bed. Nick stepped back until he bumped into the bed, then sat. His nerves were clearly getting ahold of him as he nibbled on his claws. "I want you to add your testimony to my case against Big. Write down everything you know and remember. And be honest." Nick's slack-jawed expression of surprise was tempered by Judy calmly holding his paws as she sat next to him. He squeezed hers in response and it forced Jack to fight back an irrational pang of jealousy.

"But wouldn't this incriminate me? I'm not interested in going back to jail."

"You said you wanted to help. I can get you cleared. Of everything. We can convince the court that you were forced into your actions and that you had no freedom of choice in the matter. You will be fine. And there might even be some temporary benefits after the case to aid you."

"Nick, we could use this," said Judy. "Fangmeyer is out there right now, alongside McHorn doing their part to bring in Big's people. They're making their assault on the climate wall as we speak."

"Help us maintain integrity in our system. When it is found out that you were illegally released from jail for the Rainforest Docks heist, you'll be questioned again. But at least this time, you will have the right people behind you. Nick, you have friends here. Trust us." Silence enveloped the room. Nick nodded in thought. His scowl was discouraging, but before Jack could try another tactic to influence him, Nick finally said,

"Fine." Relieved, Jack firmly shook his paw saying,

"Rest, friend. And gather your thoughts." The troubled fox looked to Jack, then to Judy. He motioned to speak but stopped himself. He stood up, gave a smile, then left Jack's room. Judy sniffled on the bed, a smile across her face.

"We're going to do this, aren't we?"

"Yes," said Jack, almost immediately. "I have good and not so good news. The not so good news is that it was Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether supporting Big. The good is that I just got the green light to investigate her and I will be storming her office. And..." Jack paused; he looked at Judy. In the dim light of his room, her vulnerability was concealed, but she was certainly in a weakened state physically. And there was no telling what emotional frailty she hid from him after the attack she endured. Hints of it occasionally revealed itself to him.

He took a seat next to her, and as he feared, she curled her shoulders in fear before relaxing. Her trauma was too raw. Too new. But for her to continue on as did...  _Is she trying to fight this by herself?_

"Jack? What is it? You stopped at, 'and.' What were you going to say?"

"I want you to be with me. Let's do this together. Tomorrow. We'll find a way in early." Judy shuddered a breath as she leaned on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She remained quiet, but the wetness on Jack's neck pinned him in place as he embraced her. "I know I'm being selfish and I can't possibly know what it must be like for you right now. I'll do anything to help you get through your experience. If you would rather go home, I won't argue. I can't tell you to be happy or be brave. Just do what you think is best for you. I'll stay close if you want me to. Always."

"Stupid," she sobbed. "Of course I'll go with you." He sighed and squeezed her. The ringing of a bell interrupted them.

"Oh! That must be my delivery." Jack side smirked at Judy and hurried to the front door.

"Agent Savage, delivery as promised," said a cheery chipmunk as she gestured to a large seal behind her. The bag strapped to his back was almost as large as he was.

"Selene!" Jack hugged her and pulled her into his home. The seal walked inside with lumbering steps. "Gregory!"

"Good to see you, Sir." Jack looked at Selene and shook her by the shoulders,

"Are you alright? What's been going on with you?" She chuckled and turned her gaze away.

"It's a long story. I've been told to help out. I couldn't carry the stuff myself, so I had Gregory help. He's bigger anyway." With a heavy sigh of relief, Gregory bent forward and gently dropped the large bag.

"Phew! What do you have in there?"

"Everything we need to fight back." Judy approached from behind, slipping her paws around Jack's waist. Gregory smiled and saluted at her,

"Ms. Hopps! Good to see you."

"Hi, Gregory!"

"Would you all excuse me a moment? Hotel Savage is open for business, make yourselves comfortable," He rolled his eyes, inwardly exhausted with all the guests, pleasant or not. His ringing phone gave him the perfect shield to avoid socializing. He was ecstatic to see Selene safe, to see Greg, and get all his equipment. Now if only Bellwether and Big would throw themselves down at his feet and beg for mercy. _Alright, that's definitely not going to happen._

"Jack!" Bogo's voice grated on the other end of the line. "It's done. Thomas has been secured. McHorn suffered some injuries but nothing major. We're returning soon." Jack thrust a fist to the air.

"Great!"

"Oh, Jack?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"When I return, we'll have to talk about the illegal security equipment you have installed in your home." Jack froze. He automatically responded with another "Yes, Sir." He tried to force out an excuse in his defense, but the alarms in his head weren't letting him. It wasn't until he heard the phone go silent on the other end that he sputtered,

"You're welcome for keeping you safe!" And then he shut off his phone.

The hacker that plunged the city into darkness was captured. Duke was captured. Though he lost Finnick Brone, Jack reunited with two allies. With no want to spare any second, he made his rounds in his home checking in on everyone and examined the requested equipment. Two rifles and matching scopes. Two sets of mics. Four armored vests and an assortment of medical supplies. And surprisingly enough, he found a note from Mayor Lionheart in the bag:

"Here is everything you requested, and some extra. Also, I heard about your talk with Jason and Sedgewick. We'll talk soon. – Mayor Go Fuck Myself." Jack shook his head and cursed Sedgewick.

The rest of the night left Jack heavy with thought. He noted the grieving Nick and did his best to be sensitive to his situation. He owed Nick for protecting Judy and was trying to find a way to express his gratitude. But it was an issue that needed to be put on hold while the main task drew near. Tomorrow morning, He and Judy would make for the Mayor's office with a warrant and badges marking clearance for search and seizure. Nick was expected to be working on his side of the story to be included into Jack's swelling report.

As he laid next to Judy, he fantasized about the end of his investigation. His home city was transformed into a bizarre warzone because of the neglect of his government. A shame. And he was going to make it right. He prided himself on his diligence, tenacity and dogged intelligence. But the most wonderful part was how he came to be introduced to so many good mammals capable of working together to fight alongside him. This was nothing like his team with the MIC. Though his past allies were close to him in spirit, it was this team here in his home thrown together by pressure and urgency, that left him with a warm buzz that escaped explanation.


	31. Power Struggle - Savage Seas

Chief Bogo and Judy accompanied Jack as he walked through City Hall. The chief looked ill at ease, and his discomfort spread to the rest of the group. They passed by several mammals sauntering about with sour expressions. Security especially caught their attention.

"Chief?" called Judy. "These mammals. Do they look familiar to you at all?"

"No."

"I didn't think so," mumbled Jack. The shifty behavior of the guards was unsettling. He noticed the nervous twitching of their hands and darting eye movement. He made sure they stood close together as they continued through the halls with their brown speckled tile floors and copper lights. Hoping for civility, they nodded and greeted the unfamiliars as they passed. And to small relief, the strange guards nodded back with similar politeness. But the eyes that burned holes in their backs couldn't be ignored by Jack.

Still, he had his leverage. There was no longer a barrier between him and Big or Bellwether now that he had the approval of the Mayor. He would seize any and all evidence from them. And they would be tried as war criminals off of Zootopia's shore away from corrupt mobs. Jason and Sedgewick would be delivered the villains dead or alive kicking and screaming.

"I'm worried about Nick being by himself," said Judy.

"He isn't alone. McHorn and Fangmeyer are keeping watch as he works on his testimony. My home is guarded. And they'll have a good view of the area with the scopes on the rifles."

"Who can you trust if not trained SWAT?" boasted Chief Bogo. "They're exceptional officers."

"That's not really what I meant," said Judy as she huddled closer to Jack. They turned a final corner to the hall leading to Mayor Lionheart's office. Inside, Jack hoped to find Bellwether.

"Care to elaborate?"

"It doesn't look like Nick has many friends. Even if we did this right, what happens to him when it's all over?"

"He goes on like the rest of us," said Bogo.

"He's lost everything. It isn't so easy to just 'go on' after what he's been through. His business is ruined, he lost his best friend and his reputation is now so broken from being in and out of prison that he'll probably never get a legitimate job again."

"Judy, we'll work on that when we get to it," said Jack, biting back the annoyance in his voice. Wasn't there enough to focus on at this moment?

They finally stopped in front of the Mayor's office. The polish of the floors in the hall had long since dulled. Used papers and other garbage littered the space around them.  
Jack's ears twitched to the noises coming from behind the door.

"You hear that?" Judy stepped closer.

"Like a whirring noise?" she asked. The hare and rabbit duo exchanged a glance. Then they shared one with Bogo as he stood behind them with a slight bend to his posture; a long-lasting effect from the damage sustained during the attack at police headquarters. Jack knocked twice and waited. The weight of the mammal's steps as it approached the door sounded heavy. With a snap, the door was pulled open.

Bright greenish-brown eyes narrowed down on the trio from a tall and slender black feline standing by the threshold. Behind him, a torn up folder sat on a table next to a peculiar silver canister. A shredder was working overtime and filled the room with the smell of its overheating motor. File drawers stood open and hung precariously on the edges of their slots. It only took Jack and Judy a second to say the name,

"Manchas." Jack held up a warrant to the cat,

"Don't move. Detective Jack Savage. This office is under search and seiz-"

"Argh!" Manchas slapped Jack's hand away and forced the door, battling the resistance of Jack and Judy on the other side. They struggled to rebound from his swift attack and found themselves shut out.

'Come on! Together!" Bogo leaned forward and rammed his weight into the door. The impact was just enough to get the doors hinges squealing in pain. Bogo grunted his own cry of discomfort.

"Chief!" Judy stood by Bogo, carefully monitoring him as he sat down with a grunt.

"I'm no use," he whined. But with the door weakened, Jack took a turn and forced it down with a straight kick. He caught a glimpse of Manchas diving out the window then turned to Judy and Bogo,

"Protect each other and turn this office inside out! I'm going after Manchas."

"Alright!" said Judy. Without looking back, Jack leapt into the light and held onto the walls of the window as he perched and looked down below. The grass field of the Mayor's garden lay before him. The bright sun illuminated the colors of the flora that decorated the space. But as he carefully scaled down the security fence that hugged the window, the feeling of being on enemy territory in what was once his home base left him disgusted. More guards strolled across the grounds in alien uniform.  _It's not lost yet. It will be reclaimed!_

Jack kicked off the gate from a safe enough distance and dashed across the garden. "Manchas, stop!" The cat stumbled as he reached the towering protective bars on the other end. He leapt up the spiked fence, daring to brave the points as he climbed the steel spears and froze by the top. He looked back and snarled. Jack saw it too; from his pocket slipped the canister. Curious, he headed for the bush where the canister fell. Two armed guards blocked his path just as he was closing the distance.

"That hare attacked me. Do as Bellwether instructed," said Manchas. He leapt over the gate.

Jack raised his arms as the wolves approached. They were heavily armed and dressed in excessive armor. He watched their movements closely. They approached slowly. The wolf closest to Jack appeared nervous. His arms shook with slight untamed energy.

"Sir."

"We have our orders."

"I'm a member of the M.I.C. Whatever you were told is a lie."

"You don't employ us. I have a job to do."

"We all have jobs to do." Jack slowly backed up and turned, guiding the guards with his backward movements until he stood with his back to the bushes.

"We have to take you in and report to Bellwether. You're that striped rabbit. You fit the description of someone wanted for crimes against Zootopia. Big was fighting to stop you. He's a real leader."

"No..."

"Get on your knees, rabbit."

"This is a mistake."

"Kneel and go easy."

"He doesn't seem as dangerous as they say," said the wolf in the back. Jack remained with a stoic expression. As the wolf took a step forward, Jack bent down and slowly lowered a knee in surrender. He could clearly see the holster on the nearest guard. A round lump sticking off of the wolf's hip caught Jack's eye. And on that lump was a keyring hanging off the edge of it. With their guns getting closer and no other option, Jack ducked down and rolled halfway under the nearest wolf. He hooked a finger on the ring of the item attached to his holster and in a wrestling maneuver, rolled the wolf to the ground.

"Shit! Hey!"

"Don't shoot you'll hit me!" Jack positioned himself on the back of the wolf and violently tugged on the ring.

"No! Get back! Grenade!" The wolf in the rear turned, dropping his gun as he fled.

"Get it off me! Please!" Jack sat on the panicked wolf and yanked the live explosive from his holster, launching it into the air above the other wolf. A large billow of smoke blocked out the sun as the grenade detonated, sending shockwaves through the air and grass. Jack hit the cowering wolf on the back of his head, knocking him out. He used the heavy gas hovering in the garden to cover his movement, expecting the commotion to draw more attention.

"I don't believe it! You're something else," growled Manchas. He grunted with one last effort to reach for the canister from between the bars, but it remained out of his reach in the thick bushes. Jack dove toward them in search of the silver canister.

"Ow! Ow!" He yanked it free from the toothy vines that ensnared it and scaled the gate in pursuit as Manchas back-pedaled away and began running.

"Jack!" A panicked Judy called on the phone, "What was that explosion?"

"Me. Just keep digging. Take the whole room with you if you have to!"

"We're under attack in here. We called for help. Backup is coming."

"Fine, then stay safe."

"Where are you going?"

"Right now?" He rushed to figure that out. Where did Manchas plan to go? If he could keep on the cat's trail, it might just lead him to Bellwether.  _Wait...what was it that Nick told us about Manchas? Duke made the purchases and did the stealing. So Manchas..._

"Judy!"

"What?"

"Does Manchas act as a relay between Big and Bellwether?"

"That's what Nick said. He does the transport for big, playing the role of the innocent limo driver."

"That's it! I'm going to the docks. One of them has to be there. Big, Bellwether. Doesn't matter. I'm heading to Sahara Docks now."

"If we can get out of here, We'll meet you."

"You will."

"I love you!" Even now, it surprised him to hear her say it.

"I love you too." He hung up the phone and shrugged off the sentimental phrase.

"You should join us!" said Manchas as he ran.

"I'll join you in the courtroom and see you caged!" They threaded through frightened pedestrians on the sidewalks, skidding cars on the streets and through narrow alleys near the canyons in Sahara Square. Manchas snarled as he saw Jack keeping pace.

"How do you keep up in that suit? You look like you're enjoying yourself." Perhaps it was just the thrill of the chase, but he couldn't deny a small smile stretching his face.

"I'm so close to ending all of this." Manchas slowed to a leisurely walk to conserve energy. He turned and continued moving, panting for breath,

"You really think it ends with a simple arrest?"

"You know nothing."

"Join us. The Family lives." Jack also slowed, winded from the chase.

"Mayor Lionheart is alive. Your assassination attempt failed."

"He lives? Liar."

"No," said Jack through a smile. "I don't lie. He lives. Bellwether has no authority. Big will lose everything. And all of you and the other freaks will follow. Arms up, Manchas!" Jack reached for cuffs on his waist then jumped back.

"No!" Manchas charged with a straight kick. Jack rolled on his heels, stumbling over a garbage bag in an alley.

"Gah!" Manchas lifted a metal trash lid on the can next to Jack and tossed it at him. Though he shielded himself with his arms, the weight of the lid was substantial and enough to slow Jack's rise to his feet. His elbows stung from the impact. He was slammed back down before he could recover and struggled against Manchas' assault. When the blows slowed, Jack spat at his face then met him with a headbutt.

"I said get down!" Although slower, the long legs of Manchas provided him with a good stance. The hare's charge was ineffective and he was tossed to the side.

"Unf! Damn it." Jack wiped a stale sweet sauce from his nose and pushed himself off of a lumpy glass filled garbage bag. The sharp edges were dulled by the thick plastic of the bag, but he could still feel the stinging in his paws, throbbing with his heart. He was alone in the alley. The bright wall of light on the other end drew his attention. Manchas was swallowed in it. Jack continued his pursuit to the other end of the alley and gazed at a body of water. He watched from the vantage point granted from the top of the hill that led down to the Sahara Docks. He followed Manchas with his eyes as he ran, noting his movement and the zig-zagging terrain leading to the water. He reached for his phone,

"Judy! I'm at the docks. Manchas is heading toward the water. In pursuit." He swiftly hung up, dashing down the slope and cutting his trip by taking risky falls from one elevated street to the ones below. Officers dotted the streets.

"Hey! Follow me!" he shouted. "M.I.C.! Suspect!" The horn of a small ship pressed Jack's sense of urgency. He sprinted with a final reserve of energy to a small parked boat. The vessel was from a smaller line of transport boats.

Two deer officers chased Jack on, jumping behind him to reach the ledge as the boat slowly pulled away from the dock. Panting and breathless, Manchas turned to face Jack.

"You're very annoying," he calmly said. "The canister. I need it. Now. You don't know what you're holding onto."

"Just more evidence," Jack taunted. The click of a pistol stopped him cold. Jack turned to face an officer pointing a gun at him.

"I can't let you do this," he shakily said. "Big paid my family good money. I owe him my loyalty."

"He bought you off too? He buys everybody." The rocking of the boat increased as it moved further from the docks and began to turn. The world spun behind the officers.

"He pays very well. I got twice what I would get working as a cop for a year. Things have been good for me."

"But look at what it costs you. Pointing a gun at a detective."

"It's too late," said the deer. But as he straightened his aim, the other officer rammed him down. The gun went off, sending a bullet harmlessly through the air. Jack ducked last moment when a swinging hook flew past and heard a meaty thud behind him as the hook struck the officers.

Manchas reached for Jack and missed, rewarded with an uppercut. He pulled the silver canister out of his pocket and unscrewed the cap.

"What are you doing?" Manchas warily asked. Jack said nothing. He pulled a smaller tube from the canister. A needle-tipped syringe. The liquid glowed a saturated blue in the light.

"Think of the power we can offer, Jack. We could control so much. You should join us. Big could use someone as athletic as you. You'd be a good hunter."

"Trying to seduce me into joining Big is only making me feel ill." Jack fought the urge to toss the needle off the boat. Then, a twisted thought occurred to him. He glanced back to see the two downed cops. One bleeding from the face profusely.

"Don't be so sure of yourself," said Manchas. "Join and be free of your rules. Big has everything you want." Jack clenched his fist around the syringe.

"Do you know what it's like to see the person you love flinch in fear as you approach her because of trauma? Or to have your entire family go missing?" Manchas only blinked in curiosity. "So much has happened because of you people. I have no more words for you." Jack violently plunged the needle into his right thigh.

"No! What are you doing?"

"Getting a taste of that 'power' you spoke of." Manchas watched with a skeptical eye as Jack tossed the syringe aside. The burning in Jack's leg crawled through his veins. His muscles tensed and his ears began to ring as if someone slapped them. A strange sensation of weightlessness swelled in his chest.

"Let's be civil about this," said Manchas with a hint of teasing in his voice. The colors around Jack appeared to brighten and sharpen. A pleasant electric buzz coursed through his veins.

"Civility no longer applies." Manchas shook his head and charged forward. His movements looked painfully slow to Jack. He missed the first swipe. The second left him on his knees as Jack caught his left paw and snapped a finger.

"Argh!" And without a second thought, Jack jammed two clawed fingers straight into the right eye of Manchas.

"Aah! You savage!" Blood sprayed upward from the wound as Manchas recoiled, scurrying backward on the floor of the boat. Jack wiped the blood and teary mucus on his fingers on his pants. The drug's influence was proving useful in pushing him to extremes he often rebelled against. The little voice that kept him from touching these levels of depravity have been muzzled and went unheard. It was invigorating. Intoxicating.

"Take me to Bellwether." He approached Manchas as he kneeled on the floor mewling. "Where is she?" When the cat refused to respond, Jack looked up toward the wheelhouse. Behind the glass, he faintly saw a shrew and sheep standing partially covered by the sun's light.

A hyena charged out onto the deck. Jack reached into his jacket pocket and rewarded the predator with a high voltage taser for the intrusion. Jack hurried inside, purposefully trampling over the fallen hyena as he did so. He searched for the staircase leading up to the wheelhouse.

"Come out! Now!" He pushed through the galley's door then turned back through the living quarters until he found a skinny door tucked between marked crates. The rumbling noise of the ship's motor grew louder as he neared.  _This must be it._

Jack's breath's shortened. The adrenaline rush forcing itself through his body was beginning to enter that stage of agitation that Dr. Cunninghamm talked about. With little time before he hit a low from the drugs side-effects, he yanked the door open and entered the tight spiraling staircase. Down must have led to the engine room, if the sounds were any giveaway. He made his way up the stairs and reached a small skinny hallway. At the end stood a white wooden door. He briskly walked up to it and listened to the panicked voices inside.

"Hold it closed!" said a male voice. Unfamiliar and neither Bellwether nor Big. The disappointment only enraged Jack further. And with all his natural strength amplified by the drug in his veins, he rammed his fist through the door, connecting with wood and flesh. The injured figure slammed backward over the controls before falling forward.

"Get back! Stay away!" shrieked a female. Jack forced the door open and stared at the female shrew holding a bloodstained and chipped wooden bat. Jack forced the bat away from her and lifted her by her shirt.

"What is your full name?" he shouted.

"Frieda Big! And you're going to get it!" It was encouraging to find someone so close to him. He looked at the strange shrew. Her long black hair draped down her face. She snarled, exposing her needle-thin teeth. Her pink fingers grasped onto Jack's arms as he held her up in his grasp.

"Where is your father?"

"I'm not talking!" Jack threw her down against a wall and turned his attention to the sheep slowly standing up in the opposite corner. Next to him, more vials of different colors stood on a broken crate, kept in the shade.

"This boat is loaded with explosive chemicals," warned the sheep. "Keep calm, we don't have to fight."

"I'm through with calm!" said Jack. Frieda attempted to push him. Jack swung her around, tossing her into the sheep. They tumbled in a mess of limbs over the vials, cracking the glass tubes. "Where is this boat going? Who are you? And what is happening? You will answer me. If I could right now, I'd have you all in cuffs."

"We're moving the materials to the rainforest docks," coughed the sheep. He wiped off a streak of blood from his snout and dusted wooden shrapnel from his shirt. "I'm Jesse." Jack stepped back an inch, allowing himself some safe space between himself and the ever-growing list of suspects in front of him.

"You're all complacent and accessories to major crimes. You're all going down one way or another," he growled. But he needed to regain composure. The drug had thrown him off balance. And he found himself spiraling into a rage. Frieda made one last charge and in Jack's frustration at her tenacity, slammed her hard on the ground, knocking her out. A bright flash behind him made him look back.

"What?" The wheelhouse was slowly being swallowed by a nascent flame. The sheep tried to run over Jack near the door. He crashed into Jack and they rolled on the ground.

"Where is Bellwether?"

"She is in the Rainforest. Figure out where yourself. This boat is going to melt down now anyway. You ruined everything." The sheep slipped from his grasp and fled down the stairs. The growing smoke was beginning to darken as the flame grew. Jack hurried to the extinguisher on a wall near the entrance to the wheelhouse. He pulled Frieda's unconscious body from the room and frantically battled the fire. When the flame was suppressed he looked out the ash laced window in front of him. Manchas had vanished from the deck. The battered officers huddled up motionlessly in a corner near the boat's edge. Their holsters were gone and blood pooled from new wounds.

"Manchas..." The world continued to spin as the boat steered itself through the waters. In the distance, perhaps ten minutes away, Jack stared at the Rainforest Docks. He searched the drawer under the throttle near the steering wheel and found a pair of binoculars. He leaned up onto the desk in front of him and focused the binoculars toward the docks.

Standing impatiently on the pier, staring with worried eyes toward the boat was Bellwether. Jack looked at the warped bend to the steering wheel. The edges were charred from the flames. The chemicals were smothered under the white foam from the fire extinguisher. The throttle to the boat looked like it suffered some damage as well. Jack tried to straighten the ship, but to his horror found the lever abnormally loose. He tried the wheel and couldn't adjust the tilt.

"No...it's going to crash into the docks!"


	32. Cornered

If Jack's math was right, he had seven minutes before the wounded ship would make violent contact with the Rainforest Docks. There was no time to figure out how many of the crates that he had seen were stocked with dangerous chemicals similar to what damaged the wheelhouse. He reached up and grabbed the mounted radio above the desk. He straightened the coiled cord for maximum length and frantically hit its buttons. The megaphone above the wheelhouse wailed to life. Jack shouted,

"Clear the docks! Out of control boat. Going to crash!" Jack pushed the radio away from him – allowing it to dangle carelessly by its cord – and reached for his binoculars. He focused his gaze on Bellwether. When she appeared to react with urgency, he sighed knowing that the speaker carried his message through. Her expression of fear pulled his lips into a smile. "You're not getting away." Jack turned to Frieda, lifted her up over his shoulder and hurried down with hopes of escaping the ship.

* * *

"Easy, Chief. I got you." Officer Oats draped Bogo's arm across his shoulder and allowed the massive buffalo to lean on him as they carefully walked out of City Hall. Judy watched with inward satisfaction as officers subdued their attackers and smoothly apprehended others willing to surrender. SWAT's arrival and the news that Mayor Lionheart was still alive appeared to demoralize the enemy. They were headless. Vulnerable.

Judy passed a sealed bag containing forged files from Bellwether's office to the officers behind her. She stood with a held breath, inundated by the sight of the amount of evidence they obtained. Three officers carried towering stacks of documents and bags full of shredded files and books. Two others carefully carried lab equipment from the office. For once in what seemed like weeks, Judy beamed with a wide and sincere smile. Before she could inquire about how they would find Bellwether, her attention was stolen by her radio as it transmitted a frantic message:

"Suspect Dawn Bellwether, a female sheep, is in the Rainforest District. All units respond immediately. Dangerous terrorist target. Use extreme caution."

"There!" She turned with nervous energy to Chief Bogo and Oats. "I'm going ahead." It wasn't a veiled request for permission. It was declarative. And she was going to rush off whether Bogo agreed or not. Thankfully, Bogo nodded and said,

"Get after it, Hopps." Charged with encouragement and approval, Judy dashed out of City Hall. The mission in some sense remained the same. Taking out Bellwether would clear the way to Big. And his recent theatrical display before he went silent only ensured his guilt. Judy shook her head glad for their error. This was the time to retaliate.  _Never know when to quit!_

"McHorn!" Judy paused and waved at McHorn as he sat alone in the driver's seat of his car.

"Get in, Hopps! We're going to the Rainforest District!"

"Yes, of course!" His timing couldn't be better. And she was glad to see he wouldn't complain about her tagging along. She brushed off the thought that she was still a rookie with less than a year of experience. This was easily the biggest case of her career. If she could help secure a win for the ZPD, her future was sure to shine as bright as her undying optimism.

McHorn blasted the siren and sped through the congested streets. Judy buzzed with energy in the passenger's seat. But wasn't McHorn supposed to be with Fangmeyer guarding Jack's home?

"Oh, where's Fangmeyer?" she asked. McHorn smirked and shook his head.

"Last I saw, she was with Nick...joined at the hip." He made a suggestive gesture with his fist.

"Oh..." Judy's eyes wandered for a second. The tingling in her brain slowly sketched out the true meaning of McHorn's words. "Oh!" McHorn laughed at her reaction.

"Yes. When I got the message from Bogo, I was about to rush out. I went to get Fangmeyer in the guest room. She and Nick were going at it on the bed!"

"Sweet cheeses. How rude!" said Judy between laughs. Disappointment mixed with the humor of the thought. They could have picked a better location than to get intimate in Jack's home. But it was also nice to hear that Nick was bonding, even after what happened.

"Maybe he's more resilient than I gave him credit for."

"Huh?"

"Nick. I thought he would be shelling up after everything."

"He's had it pretty bad." Judy clung to her seat as McHorn turned a hard corner. "But I'll say this: the fox is smart and tough. He's decent. We protect the decent." McHorn gave Judy a firm look. She responded the same. An officer's duty. "Jennifer keeps him happy."

"Officer McHorn?"

"Hmm?"

"Has there been any word on Big?"

"Not yet. He's gone into hiding. Not sure why. He made quite a show on tv. He delivered on nothing he promised. But I think that's our fault. So there hasn't been a word from him anywhere."

"Oh..."

"By the way," he looked at Judy with as much a smile his face could allow and said, "call me Chief. Just got the word on my way over!" Judy turned her head and sat straight up in her seat.

"What?"

"The noble Bogo is stepping down. His injuries and age. But mostly because of his injuries. Call me Chief McHorn!"

"I don't believe it." Judy's ears slowly drooped, betraying her feelings. "Con...gratulations?"

"Don't be too sad. He made his decision. He knows what's good for him. We carry on what he's done for the ZPD and honor it through our continued service." Despite the sometimes frosty relationship she had with Bogo, a pang of sadness sat in her chest. He was fair and a fine representation of what the ZPD stood for. She was sure to feel his departure for a long time. Judy straightened her slumping shoulders and with blurred vision and a choked breath turned to McHorn.

"Yes, Sir!"

They passed through the Rainforest District's checkpoint; a string of parallel roads rolled out like carpets of asphalt leading toward the higher elevated territory of Zootopia. Green trees stretched on the hill like fur on the back of a bear. The docks were on the other end. To her right, the border wall separating the temperate climate of the rainforest from Tundratown caught Judy's eye. Truly, Zootopia's engineering was a marvel of the world.

"Hey! What's that smoke?" Judy pointed behind the line of trees. A plume of black smoke floated heavy and ill over Zootopia. The blast must have been intense because Judy heard the wash of wind as it carried the noise across the forest. Bugs scattered through the air like sparks off a flame. The police radio in McHorn's car blipped with loud panicked shouts.

"Explosion at Rainforest Docks!"

"Enough of this shit!" McHorn parked his car and angrily stomped out of his vehicle.

"I'm right here!" said Judy as she followed. They stood and watched as feline officers in the distance rushed ahead into the thick of the trees stretching up the hill, shouting instruction to one another. The bass voice of McHorn tickled Judy's ears,

"We're here to bring Dawn Bellwether in for questioning. Nothing else." Judy nodded.

"Understood." They walked together into the dense forest and listened to the sounds around them. The banging of objects, shouts, frenzied steps, the whooping of distant mammals and crunching of twigs were nothing to Judy's hardened nerves. But she still needed something comforting. Something reassuring. She reached for her phone and hit the call button on Jack's name, but it went straight to voicemail. "Huh? Why?" It should have gone through. They've been in constant contact the whole time until now.  _Could it be because he was on the water? Wait..._

Her thoughts about the sudden explosion at the docks cut her breath short. But Jack's last call was about him chasing Manchas to the water off the Sahara docks. She struggled to fight against the venomous what ifs now playing tricks on her mind. But...w _hat if?_

"No, I can't! I have to know." Judy fumbled with the phone in her hands and dropped it into the moist dirt. She noticed an unread text as she shakily picked it up and smeared the dirt on her phone. She didn't acknowledge McHorn's words behind her and hastily opened the message. The screen blurred behind her tears:

"Bellwether is at the Rainforest Docks. Stay clear! Danger. Poisoned by midnicampum. Boat going to crash."

"No, Jack. Don't you leave me." The world finally returned to focus as she stared at the large horn just inches from her face.

"Come on!" A sharp pain ran up Judy's shoulder as she was yanked by McHorn running for cover. Bullets buzzed by Judy's ears like mosquitoes. Shouts and snarls similar to what she heard the night of the blackout filled her with dread.

"Bellwether was spotted at the docks," said Judy. "Jack said so." As soon as they huddled under a large tree, the noise began to soften. Officers paced the perimeter; the thick of the forest that branched out to different communities of various species.

"Is he sure?" asked McHorn. The question hurt like she was poked in the chest. She shook her head and said,

"Jack has never been wrong." McHorn nodded. They carefully stepped through the forest, trailing behind a group of officers pursuing attackers.

"Let's hurry over and join up with stragglers. We'll do better in numbers."

"Right." Her agreement was emphatic. She wanted to reach the docks. She needed to know that Jack was still in one piece.


	33. I See You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goals for 2019:
> 
> One more story for Bad Cop titled Bugs!
> 
> May or may not consider working on a Fanfic for Fable the video game franchise. I was toying with the idea for an American story set in modern time New York.
> 
> I want to do original stuff that is not from any fandom. So I'll be looking to make time for this as well.
> 
> Hopefully, I'll get a pay raise and promotion. Work is so demanding. And my resources are...slim. Anyway, On with what just might be the first of the last three or four chapters!

Nick stood by the back window in Jack's home overlooking the backyard. Even with the dipping of the late afternoon sun painting the world orange, the backyard appeared dark green. The leaves clicked musically through the air as a breeze bullied them. He stared at the tallest trees, pulling shapes from his mind. A circular shape with a skinny snout took form from within the tangled branches in Nick's eyes, resembling a rodent-like head.

Nick raised the metal gray rifle in his paws. It was heavier than expected and felt a little like hard plastic. No wonder SWAT and other officers looked so in shape.

"Widen your stance just a bit," instructed Fangmeyer. "Pretend you will shoot. Anticipate heavy kickback. Always have a strong grip on the barrel and handle. Rest its butt in the crook of your shoulder." Nick looked through the scope. It was an odd view, uncomfortable. But he wasn't trained for this. Still, it was interesting to try. He straightened his shoulders as he stuck out his elbow and pointed the rifle toward the head in the trees.

"I see you," he whispered.

"Don't overstretch," said Fangmeyer. "Just raise it casually, but keep yourself firm. Yes. Looking good, Red." Nick lowered the rifle and sighed.

"Heavy." She smiled at him. From behind, Selene shuffled papers into a folder and sighed satisfactorily.

"Okay. It looks like I have everything I need."

"All set there, Chips?" Fangmeyer tilted her head at Nick, amused. Selene, not so much.

"Chips?"

"Chipmunk," said Nick.

"Heh, call me 'Chips' again, and you'll be choking on your tail." He gave a forlorn smile.

"You sound like...Finnick." A chill wrapped around his bones as he turned to hear a low howl escape Fangmeyer's throat. "You're a good singer." She turned away abashed.

"Sorry. That wasn't intentional."

"Nick, thank you for your cooperation. I'm sure Jack appreciates it." Nick turned to face Selene. He rested his back on the window. "He's worth the trust." Nick shrugged his shoulders.

"Jack's eyes are always on me now." He stole a glance at Fangmeyer. She furrowed her brows quizzically and asked,

"What happens when this is over?"

"Big and his goons get locked up. Jack and I spend the next two years doing paperwork on this disaster." She shook her head and laughed. "So not looking forward to all the work!" Nick scoffed a chuckle, grateful he wasn't in her line of work.

"I'll take some alone time. Get my head straight. I could use the peace and quiet. But..." He turned to Fangmeyer. She stepped forward and took his paws in hers. The dipping sunlight bathed her white fur in orange and illuminated her blue eyes.

"Yes, my tall, pretty wolfy?"

"Are you alright...with money?" It seems the question was on both their minds. He sighed in resignation, dropping the attempt to lie before even trying.

"At the moment? No. I really did lose everything." She lapped at the top of his nose, forcing a smile out of him and then pressed her muzzle to his in a firm kiss.

"You won't have to worry about that with me."

"But you don't make that much, do you? I mean, officers don't get paid much."

"I get more than the average officer because of my position with SWAT and my skills."

"I want to open an amusement park," he sputtered. He didn't expect to say it. It just sort of happened. She rubbed the top of his fingers in her paws as she held them.

"Isn't Zootopia itself an amusement park?" she joked.

"Sometimes."

"Hey, what is that?" Selene turned to the front door. Muffled voices buzzed on one of Jack's espionage mics left on a table pointing toward the door. The speaker on the back end of the toy-like gun-shaped mic filled the home with the buzzing of heavy accented voices. Nick clenched his fists.

"It couldn't be..." He tip-toed towards the door and listened. His free ear swiveled to the mic transmitting sounds while the other rested on the door.

"This is supposed to be Jack's house. We have to burn it down. Remember the instructions. We're short on time. Big needs us. Let's be quick."

"Does it even still matter?" asked the other.

"The bears!" Nick hissed. He forcefully guided Selene to Jack's room, shushing her with a finger before closing the door. Fangmeyer grabbed the rifle.

"You know how to work the security on this house?"

"No, not really." Nick shrugged. "But I got an idea. Just listen in on me. I have a history with them." Fangmeyer nodded. Nick directed her to hide, so she avoided the windows and knelt next to a couch. After a deep breath, he thought back to his hustling attitude when his relationship with Big was at it's strongest. But now it took more effort to force back the revulsion the memories brought.

Nick opened the door. He barely took three steps out before he spotted two large bears strolling up the narrow path from the street to the house. In the left bear's paws, a red canister full of gasoline. The bears stopped and scowled. The one on the right, most familiar to Nick, tilted his head with jaw agape in confused surprise.

"Nick? What the hell?"

"Kevin! Craig! Quite a surprise eh? You're all set?" Craig, the left bear, looked around suspiciously and hugged the can of gasoline to his chest.

"What are you going on about?" asked Kevin.

"Oh, I'm the implant. Haven't you heard?" It was almost too natural how he fit the role. The act, the lie. It still gave him a thrill. "Come on, don't look at me like that! If Big gave me away, I wouldn't have gotten inside as I have. I know all the good spots. Follow me." Nick glanced back at the house as the bears exchanged bewildered expressions toward each other. Fangmeyer's ears swiveled from above the couch for a moment before dipping out of sight. Nick gestured with his thumb to the path leading to the backyard. With a shrug, the bears followed.

"I gotta tell ya, it's been quite a trip."

"What do you know of this rabbit?" asked Craig. "If we don't stop him now, Big is going to fail. Although, if you ask me, he already has." Craig yelped and nearly dropped the gasoline as the larger Kevin hit him in the side.

"That's how you feel about your Family?" he growled.

"S-sorry. I'm just saying, that stupid fennec fox hurt him. And Bellwether's attack went bad. It hasn't been a good time, is all."

"We'll make it all right. There is no leadership in Zootopia without Father Big." Nick turned to nod at the bears then hid a smirk at the news. He mentally tsked at how they sounded more and more like some deranged cult. Nick stopped just at the edge of the house, on the entrance to the backyard. The bears impatiently grumbled and looked at him as he turned.

"Well? What's the quickest way to light it up?"

"Arms up! Both of you! ZPD!" shouted Fangmeyer from behind. They stood rigid with widened eyes. Nick caught a pistol tossed his way from between the bears. He grimaced and aimed up toward them.

"Oh please," scoffed Kevin. "We know a little about you, Nick. You wouldn't hurt a fly. Who are you trying to bluff with that?" Nick fought through his trembling nerves. He couldn't be called on a bluff nor let them proceed any further. And trained fighter or not, Fangmeyer would have benefitted from a more suitable partner for such large mammals. Nick wished McHorn was around. But he wasn't. Thankfully he did have the gun. And Fangmeyer kept her rifle pressed into their backs.

The challenging taunt echoed in his head. Nick thought about Duke; his most recent conquest and failure. How he reacted in rage to the assault on Judy and tackled Duke while his pants were still down. He chased Duke into a junkyard and watched as the unsteady, poorly layered junked car teetered on the edge of a pile. Duke backpedaled away from Nick in cowardice and bumped into the pile of cars, causing the teetering pile of junk metal to fall over and flatten him. The weasel's eyes burned an ugly image in Nick's mind. They bulged from the impact, almost popping out of his head. He drew on that cold anger and disgust. And on the strength needed to ignore Duke's pleas for help as his ribs were crushed under the weight of the car. He also drew on the anger from his arriving too late to protect Judy.

It wasn't his usual mode of action. No, Nick fought with wit, ugly remarks, bitter words. His insults were his bites. But that wouldn't suit this occasion. And when Kevin made just the slightest movement forward, Nick pointed the gun toward him. A hot stream of blood coated Nick's face. Kevin stopped, choking and falling to his knees with a spurting hole in his throat.

"NO!" Craig dropped the gasoline as Fangmeyer knocked him in the back of the head with the rifle. He fell to a knee yelling obscenities as Fangmeyer rushed to cuff him. Nick took a step back, trying to tear his angry gaze away from the panic-stricken face of Kevin choking to death in the backyard. The smoke from his gun filled his nostrils. He didn't catch the angry muttering of Fangmeyer. _Another one down_ , he thought.

Selene was shouting from inside. She banged on the window, drawing their attention.

"Trouble in the Rainforest. Jack was found in the water! I'm going back to the MIC." She dashed off before they could respond. With their hands full, she was clear to leave both Nick and Fangmeyer with the burden of the bears.

"It's done! All of it." Craig didn't resist as he was cuffed. He turned his face away from Kevin and remained on his knees. Fangmeyer radioed for backup while Nick approached, keeping a firm grip on the weapon in his right paw.

"Where is Big? What happened to him?" Craig sneered at Nick, but he didn't flinch. Not this time. Though his heart drummed violently, he fought his fear with anger.

"Finnick attacked him. Stabbed up his arm and scarred his face with a broken bottle. Kevin stopped the fight and killed Finnick. We took Big away for help. But I'm not telling you where!"

"Loser."

"But I'm no turncoat."

"I'm not miserable anymore." Nick smiled, "I'm free! And your precious daddy will be sniffed out and tossed away. Soon." Craig glared with a tight jaw. He remained on his knees, putting him eye level with Nick.

"He loved you like family." Nick cringed in disgust. "You would have been given so much."

"At too high a cost. My soul is not for sale."

"Always the poet..." Fangmeyer hauled up Craig and walked him to the front street toward the sound of approaching sirens. Nick stood behind increasing his distance from them. He grabbed the rifle she laid in the grass and stared at the backs of Craig and Fangmeyer. Another murder with him and Fangmeyer at the scene. He hoped this wouldn't become a pattern. But if it was going to end... _No, trust Jack and Judy and everyone else._  He paced with gun in hand like an impatient guard. His thoughts spun tumultuously. The rainforest was looking like a hotbed of activity if Selene was correct. He took one final look at Fangmeyer who wasn't paying him attention as she worked to control the scene and guard their captive Craig.

"I love you," he whispered. Then he silently walked away from her and Jack's home.


	34. Smoke Them Out

Judy trudged through the thickening haze beside McHorn. Black smoke billowed up and swelled like storm clouds above the line of trees in the distance. Each intake of breath further dusted Judy's throat with the dirty humid air crawling through the forest. Sloths, young tigers, and elk scurried by in fright and confusion as officers directed them to safety.

"Almost there," panted McHorn. Judy nodded his way, noting his labored breathing. He shook his head and gritted his teeth as they trekked through the steep and slippery forest.

"Officers!" called a scratchy feminine voice.

"What luck!" McHorn steadied his walk as best he could, suddenly looking serious. When Judy looked toward the direction of his scowl through the tilted trees and fog, she saw the source of his change in expression as it ran toward them.

"Dawn Bellwether!"

"Yes!" she said with a smile. "Get me out of here!" She came to a skidding halt near Judy and McHorn. They each snagged an arm and smiled. Bellwether glanced at Judy, then McHorn. Her face twisted with worry.

"You're being taken in for questioning for a list of crimes so large, that if we stood here talking we'd suffocate in this heat. So let's go."

"What? No, I–" She lost her voice to panic and nearly fell to her knees. Judy hoisted her up forcefully and twisted her arms behind her back. "Ouch!"

Judy smiled with selfish pride that it was her paws holding Bellwether in custody.

"About damn time!" exclaimed McHorn.

"This is a mistake!" she cried.

"Give it a rest. Everything will be coming to light real soon." Judy continued to push her forward. Bellwether walked with her head turned back. Something kept her attention, and Judy noted her constant glances backward.

"Better be prepared to confess once you're inside." Each step Judy took away from the flames brought her instant relief. Bellwether sniffled as they guided her to their car. McHorn read Bellwether the rights, and she looked up with closed eyes, sighing heavily.

"Is Manchas okay?" she asked, head still turned skyward.

"Manchas?" Judy glared at Bellwether.

"He...oh." Her voice faded again as she lowered her head and was pushed into the car.

"Judy, come on." Judy's posture bent under the weight of McHorn's hand on her left shoulder. She looked up at him and frowned. "What is it?" Judy looked behind him to the orange horizon dancing with black clouds as twilight battled with the glow of the forest fire for supremacy.

"You go on ahead. I have to figure something out."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm worried about Jack." McHorn looked puzzled. His ears flicked as he looked around then asked,

"Is he really here?"

"I hope not." She whimpered when McHorn didn't create any more distance between them. "I have to know for sure. Please? Just go on without me." He nodded thoughtfully. The seconds of silence felt like minutes. They had their mark, and there really was no need for him to stay with her. She tensed and hoped he would just leave her be.

"Fine. Just don't do anything crazy." Judy let go of a breath she didn't know she held.

"Thank you! I'll be careful." She rushed past him, not making audible sense of his grumbling as he entered the car.

Judy raced across the moist dirt, almost catching up to the rescue teams that scurried ahead with the necessary equipment to put out the flames. Paramedics raced past her going the opposite way, exiting the district with injured victims. Dozens of fleeing mammals breezed past, but no sign of a handsome, striped hare. Her ears ached from all the shouting, sirens and machinery. She stopped to center herself, filtering out the noises bit by bit. Cries for other lost ones chirped up around her. The thick steam that filled the forest was damp heavy on her fur. But she refused to be discouraged.

"Jack?" she called. "Jack!" She passed by the gondolas, cursing them for being shut off and approached two mountains of dirt and moss that split the district into right and northwest halves. "North it is." She followed the same path that she and McHorn turned from just before they ran into Bellwether.

By Judy's estimate, three dozen or so rescue mammals were far in front of her. Hordes of fleeing residents continued back the other way, nearly knocking Judy down as they fled.

"What kind of explosion could cause this?" she wondered. She ducked near a tree to clear away from the exodus stampeding past and reached for her phone.

"Gregory?"

"Ms, Hopps! I found Jack in the water. I'm taking him to Savanna Medical. He was calling out for you."

"Oh, Jack! Alright! Thank you, Gregory. I'll head over." She squeezed back tears of relief as she began her retreat from the wounded forest, glad to escape the heat.

* * *

A soundless rumbling filled Jack's ears. He twitched in the darkness. Distant sounds slowly registered in his mind: an unclear voice, scraping, and beeping. He shook his head and blinked several times before his vision returned, surprising him with white walls and light.

"He's up!" said a familiar male voice.

"Jack?" Long grey ears and moist purple eyes suddenly appeared just inches from his face. He sat up in fright, headbutting the rabbit in the process.

"Ah! Shit..."

"Oh!"

"Whoa, easy," said a third voice. "I told you not to reach so far into the bed!" Judy hissed and mumbled from behind a paw,

"It was worth it." Chuckles bubbled up in the room, from what sounded like three other mammals. Jack giggled and groaned,

"Don't make me laugh. My head and back hurt. And...everything else."

"I'll try this again." Judy gingerly reached out once more, closing the distance between herself and Jack. She hovered over him with a big smile.

"Hi, gorgeous." Jack paused a breath and said,

"Sorry." She laughed. He missed that sound.

"I'm okay. We did it." Her voice cracked, "You were right and we did it. We caught Bellwether." He gasped and pulled her in for a hug, pressing his cheek to hers as he sat straight up in bed, ignoring his throbbing head.

"Yeah?"

"Yes! The hard part's over." He loosened his grip around Judy and allowed himself to fall back into the bed. The stiffness of his ribs limited his movement. The brief silence was broken only by the beeping vitals monitor in the room. He turned away from Judy. All at once, thoughts of his pursuit of Manchas and the boat crash came to him.

"What's wrong?"

"I chased Manchas and grabbed a canister of the midnicampum poison from him. I injected myself in our fight and did something...gross."

"Ahem!" That familiar sound again. Jack turned to see Chief Bogo scowling at him.

"Jack, will you care to share what happened?" Jack sighed. He wiped his face with both paws, smoothing down the fur and rubbing his eyes.

"I did some...awful things. He attacked me and I tore out his right eye."

"Oh..." Jack swore he could hear the disappointment in Judy's voice. Then his left hand was taken and gently squeezed.

"You were defending yourself. It's not like they were going to just drop and surrender." Frank Stone shrugged and waved lazily at him, sitting next to Gregory. The seal greeted him with a respectful nod. "Hey, agent." Jack briefly smiled a wordless hello.

"It's not that simple."

"What happened in the water?" asked Bogo. Jack folded his paws on his stomach and turned to everyone in the room.

"I infiltrated a boat loaded with explosive chemicals. They were being transported from Sahara to the Rainforest Docks. Perhaps they chose the water to avoid all the police checkpoints across districts. But I disrupted them. It wasn't as clean as I had hoped. There were too many mammals on the boat. I was outnumbered. I almost got stopped by corrupt cops, fought with Manchas and discovered that Big's daughter was on the boat!"

"His daughter?"

"Family business, huh?"

"The last thing I remember was tumbling into the water when the boat suddenly jerked forward on a wave. I was floating in the water, almost knocked out by the damn boat itself. It wasn't a clean exit. But when the explosion happened and the shockwaves hit the water..." Jack winced at the memory of the pain. The reverberations of the blast carried through the water and rammed into Jack like a dozen elephants kicking him all over. He passed out from the pain and now considered it a miracle his insides weren't torn to shreds. Could that have happened to Frieda? "What happened to Frieda Bigsby?"

Frank shook his head and looked at Gregory. Their expressions were discouraging.

"She drowned. Didn't recover," said Gregory. He stood up, his belly rising like a balloon. "Fuck," mumbled Jack. "She drowned. I'm going to get it good, aren't I?"

"We've all made mistakes," sighed Frank. "Let's deal with the bigger issues first. Then you can worry about your bosses and how they'll react to all this."

"I was by the docks when the boat made contact," said Gregory. "I saw someone fall into the water from behind the boat. I rushed to see what I could do. That was when the blast hit. It came later after the crash and my boat nearly capsized on me. But when I saw Jack and a shrew float up and get pushed back, I paddled over to them and pulled them on. Sir, I'm glad you're going to be alright. Be safe and thank you. You too Ms. Hopps."

"Bye Gregory," she said.

"Thanks for pulling me out." Greg exited the room. His absence suddenly made the room look bigger. Chief Bogo sighed and limped to Jack. Jack lifted his head and gave Bogo his best innocent expression. In a calm manner, Bogo asked,

"Detective Savage, please tell me that you are not responsible for blowing up half the Rainforest District?"

"I..." The question was plain and yet Jack found himself stunned. He tried to put up a confident front with his ears up, but he couldn't remove himself from what happened. "There was a fight in the wheelhouse. Frieda and a sheep attacked me. Jesse was his name. The sheep was handling several colored chemicals in tubes. He was checking data on something. And when I was attacked, I pushed Frieda into Jesse. They fell back into the tubes and spilled the chemicals. There must have been some kind of reaction because a fire broke out." Bogo only blinked.

"Thank you," he mumbled and returned back to his chair near the door.

"I didn't know what would happen. I was high on adrenaline and fi–"

"Not your fault," interrupted Frank.

"What?"

"You didn't bring the chemicals there. You didn't start the fight. Not your fault." Jack sighed then continued,

"I worked to put out the fire after Jesse and Frieda were out of the wheelhouse. But when it was done, I couldn't work the throttle or the wheel. They melted from the damn heat."

"So you couldn't work the boat," Jack warmed to Judy grabbing his left arm and hugging it close to her. "I've had a crazy day on land. Fires, mammals running, police raiding the rainforest looking for Bellwether. Who put in the call?"

"I don't know," said Jack. "Probably someone from my department."

"We got a ton of evidence from the office. I caught a ride with McHorn to the forest, we ran into Bellwether fleeing the flames."

"I saw her from the boat when it was approaching the docks. I suppose the blast left her with no options. Whatever shipment she was waiting for is all gone now."

"See, Chief Bogo? Blowing up the rainforest worked out for the best!" said Frank. Bogo turned to the cheeky meerkat,

"Sir, M.I.C. or not, I'm still going to tell you to shut your face!" Frank laughed,

"Come on. This is good news. Messy, but we caught the main problem. All we need to do is the cleanup. Officer McHorn transferred Bellwether over to Jason and Sedgewick. She is in custody and soon to be interrogated. The rest is just paperwork. Not too bad."

"Geez, you're worse than I am," said Jack. "I take it I was supposed to be interrogating Bellwether?" Frank gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, your bosses will cover for you since you're stuck here."

"Until they hear I blew up the forest."

"It's not your fault!" Judy protested and slapped him on the stomach.

"Umf! Abusive." Chief Bogo stood up and briefly spasmed. He leaned on his better side to keep balance and grunted.

"I will meet with Jason and Sedgewick to see what assistance I can offer. There is still much to do." The pain was evident in Bogo's voice. Jack and Judy shared a concerned look. But the sadness in Judy's eyes hinted at something more. "I want to say congratulations." They looked at Chief Bogo. "All of you." He turned and limped out of Jack's room.

"He's finished, isn't he?" asked Frank. "I mean with an injury like that. He looks tired all the time now. Like he's in constant pain."

"I can't think of anyone more deserving of retirement and honor than Bogo," said Jack.

"Oh, that reminds me, the Mayor! He is on the move doing damage control. But it's not looking good for his chances come re-election. Anyway, I told him about Bellwether and he says 'thank you!' Not often you hear that from Lionheart huh, Jack? He was briefed about all the events leading up to today. At least, from what we know and the information we obtained. Can you imagine the documentary on this? Betrayal, mobs, corruption. Total chaos." Jack sat up, rolling his eyes at Frank's rambling. He edged closer to Judy. A sudden draft up his hospital gown made him shiver. Judy wiped her eyes and sniffled as he hugged her.

"Chief Bogo is going to give the office to McHorn."

"An excellent choice," said Jack in a near whisper to Judy. "Level-headed. Strong, smart."

"Yeah."

"I'm concerned about home. I haven't heard much."

"Where is your phone? I'll check for messages."

"I lost it in the ocean."

"Damn."

"Do you have Fangmeyer's number? Or Nick? Try calling one of them. I need some clothes too. Everything took a beating in the water. I'm naked here in this ugly yellow patient gown."

"Oh, I'll take care of you," said Judy. Frank stood up and stretched, a big grin on his face.

"You did a hell of a job. Mess or no mess. I gotta go. Just wanted to pass on the info about the Mayor to you in person since I couldn't get to you by phone." Judy turned to him.

"Oh, Mr. Stone? Take my number. I'll be by his side at all times."

"Aww! Alright!" Jack shook his head, reflexively smiling. Frank was a piece of work sometimes. But he was always good to have around. When Judy turned to approach Jack, he watched as Frank gave him a toothy grin behind her, winking an eye.

"Okay, okay. Thanks for coming over, Frank."

"Sure, Jack. See you when you're out."

"Yes." Jack rested his head in his paws and let himself fall back into the bed, suddenly feeling dizzy. "Get me some water, please." Judy reached for the plastic pitcher on a table next to his bed.

"Doctor said they detoxed something out of you."

"That midnicampum drug, thank you." He greedily gulped the water then winced. "Damn, that's too cold."

"Oh!" Jack snapped to attention.

"What? What is it?"

"I'm calling Fangmeyer. Important!" Jack grabbed the railing on his bed and braced himself for bad news. "Jennifer I got your message. No, I'm alright. Jack's okay, but we're in the hospital. So he's gone? Where?" As he listened, Jack kept a careful eye on Judy's body language. The twitching in her nose, foot thumping and ears standing. He didn't have the patience to wait for the answer to roll out. He wanted to know if it was good or bad news as soon as possible. She gave him a bewildered look after finishing the call.

"Well?"

"Alright, Jennifer and Nick were at your home when Big's bears showed up. They  
attempted to start a fire, but Nick and Fangmeyer stopped them."

"And Selene?"

"Oh, Selene is safe, she left with Nick's testimony and was on her way to headquarters. Your house is fine, but..." Jack sighed with exasperation.

"There's always that one bit of bad news. What is it?"

"Nick killed one of them, then he snuck away with one of the rifles you got us. She doesn't know where he is or where he is going."

"A body was left on my property and the killer, Nick, in defense of my home, who I owe a great thanks to, is now wandering the streets with a high-zoom high-powered rifle? Great."

"Where could he be going?"

"What do we know about Nick? I think we know just enough to figure this out."

"Well..." Judy pensively paced the hospital room. Jack, bed-ridden, joined her brainstorm from his seat on the edge of the bed. Nick had proven faithful to him and Judy ever since they began working together. There was a curious warmness Jack felt for him and only now in a moment of reflection did he come to notice it. His honesty earned him Jack's respect. Occasionally Judy mumbled a thought his way. They traced the history of Nick up to the murder of one of Big's bears. Big, the thorn in the Lion's paw, so to speak, was still out there. And understanding that along with Nick's history, the reason became clear.

"Judy?" She stopped and stared upon hearing her name. He couldn't resist the spark in those purple eyes.

"It's Big! He's looking for Big."

"Yes."

"Sweet cheeses..."

"Go."

"What?"

"Go and protect him. Help Nick. I'm too beat up. My ribs are bruised to shit. I almost drowned. They got me detoxing the drug. I'm not going anywhere for at least two days. Find him. And tell him Thank you. For everything."


	35. Mistakes

Chief Bogo stared past his ghostly reflection in the two-way glass. Jason and Sedgewick sat opposite a shackled orange-clad Bellwether in a dimly lit room. She nervously tapped at the gray table, keeping her gaze down. The shackles on her wrists rattled restlessly with her nervous tapping. Measured slow footsteps penetrated Bogo's ears, causing him to turn to the source.

"Chief Bogo," said Mayor Lionheart as he nodded in acknowledgment. He stopped beside Bogo and turned to look into the room as the interview began.

"Mr. Mayor," said Bogo.

"Alright," Jason sighed and leaned forward. He hit the play button on the cassette player sitting on the table. "State your full name for the record, please."

"Dawn Bellwether." Her voice was low and soft, but with just enough confidence to carry a sense of certainty in her words.

"Do you know why you are here?" asked Sedgewick.

"I am here because I plotted to illegally overturn Zootopia's highest authority. To claim the office for myself. To gut its foundations and build on them something foreign. I committed treason and attempted to assassinate our Mayor. Mayor Lionheart."

"Wow," sighed Lionheart. Bogo glanced his way. "It's hard to hear that in person," he said. Chief Bogo only snorted in response. He wanted to hear every word. She continued, but the next question asked was lost to Bogo's ears.

"I did not do it alone. I couldn't have. I had great help from a reliable partner for a long time. Together, we used Lionheart's resources against him to build strength in numbers." She slapped the table, her shackles rattled loudly through the room. "We wanted to create a new market. A new system of commerce with trade going through only two sources, Arthur Bigsby and myself. All goods would come under our hands. It would have been fair. Better than what we have now. Imagine one center for all goods and trades." Jason and Sedgewick briefly looked at each other. to Bogo, the expression of incredulity was more easily readable on Jason's swine face than the harder to read elk, Sedgewick. But he figured they both couldn't believe the confession they were being given. Mayor Lionheart's growling purr rumbled in Bogo's chest. He fidgeted on his feet.

"I should have fired her a long time ago," said Lionheart.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Mr. Mayor. We never truly know who our friends are until the moment when something really matters."

"That's not a very comforting thought." Bogo snorted and pressed his heels into the ground attempting to still the nervousness crawling through him like bugs.

"It was a meticulous process of corrupting the office. We had it all laid out," said Bellwether. She sniffled and clenched her fists. "The process was in the works for nearly a year. I combined my methods with Bigsby's to win over those who were easily influenced. We paid off families, stole businesses. You name the manipulation, I confess to it."

"Scoundrel," growled Lionheart.

"Why attack the Mayor though? Why weren't you satisfied with your work? This was a lot of trouble to go through only to end up failing. What happened?" asked Jason.

"The goal was to frame Mayor Lionheart. I did not want to kill him. He was supposed to disgrace himself, after being poisoned with my midnicampum serum. With his sudden rash behavior leaving him disgraced, after attacking others in public looking like a crazed lion, I was going to step in to restore control. But when the mayor did not drink the poison, everything changed. He switched drinks with his wife last second!" Her voice began to rise with frustration. "All because of a stupid drink, the plan went off the rails!" She removed her glasses and placed them over her shackles on the table before wiping her eyes. She continued, "Mayor Lionheart was abusive. He was prejudice towards me for being a sheep. He even hit me once when I dropped a stack of files over his desk."

Bogo tilted his head. After a sharp inhale, he turned to Mayor Lionheart. He kept his eyes focused on the Mayor's body language. The Mayor stood still, face stoic to the accusation. But Bogo's ears flicked to a slight increase in the lion's breathing.  _Could it be true?_

"Big was always kind and generous. And I knew my smarts were being wasted as Lionheart's servant. I wanted my freedom. I couldn't say no to Bigsby's offer. He should rule. I still believe that. He would have thrived under my control, and Zootopia would have been a better place. One market under the graceful hands of Big. Swift, stern justice for rebellion. And generosity for the loyal. It could have worked. It could've..."

"One thing I have to know." Sedgewick stood up. He leaned forward and pressed his hands onto the table as he glared at Bellwether. "Why the chemicals? What was that about? And the shipment in the docks. What gives?"

"Difficult to detect in blood. And a means to entice others into joining. Give them something to make them feel strong with Big. It was a good source of income for us." Jason paused the recorder and leaned back in his chair.

"Whew! You're a piece of work I tell ya, Dawn."

"You and Bigsby are just terrorists. And you'll spend your lives in cages for this. Congratulations," said Sedgewick before he violently pushed his chair away. Bogo turned to anticipate Sedgewick's angry exit from the room. He met the elk by the door.

"It's done. And we have a team out searching for Big now. It's only a matter of time." Bogo nodded,

"There hasn't been any recent activity from him and his people. But my officers did a fine job of pushing back. So with the threat at least dampened, we just have to sniff him out."

"In time." Bogo tilted to the side, battling the sharp ache crawling up his left leg and his back. The pain reminded him of something important.

"Sir, I have a replacement in mind for my office."

"Good. I figured you would. You deserve your retirement. Give me the details in a few days."

"Yes, sir. Are you alright?" Sedgewick blinked at the question.

"Just disgusted with that sheep."

"Same."

"I'm getting some food. Want anything?"

"Spinach pie if you can get one."

"Funny, I was going for that."

"Easy trip then."

"I'll be back." Bogo turned back to the room. Jason looked to the mirror. Chief Bogo walked in just as Jason was heading out.

"Sir, thank you. Put her in holding for us. You are relieved." Bogo gave an affirmative nod to Jason's instruction and walked behind Bellwether. He guided her from her seat and set her on her way to the cells in the back of the jail that sat just off of Zootopia's shore.

* * *

The cool night breeze tickled Nick's fur. He skulked in the shadows along the border wall of the Rainforest District. All the while, his chest was rapped by the pounding of his heart. Twice he nearly ended up in cuffs for the stupid decision to walk the streets holding a loaded rifle. And twice he slipped away from a lazy patrol that didn't bother to pursue him.  _Lady Luck has her mercy_ , he thought.

But her luck only came after too heavy a price had been paid. And one too many times. Nick was due payment for his unlucky life. He crunched the blackened grass beneath his paws and continued on with one of Jack's rifles in his arms as he sought to collect on the debt life owed him. Debt...

"Oh, no." He groaned as he thought about Fangmeyer. He would be wanted for questioning, and he put Fangmeyer in a compromising position. "She's going to kill me."

It had to be a fox thing. To run off alone. To wander. He didn't have a true pack mentality like other canines. And he often appeared aloof like the way cats did. Though canine, he did not fit the mold of dog or cat. The outsider, even in blood. Would it cost him like Finnick? He shook his head and snarled.

The choices were beginning to look eerily similar to Nick. Finnick went out alone, hoping to hunt Big. And he left the pack behind. A pack he could have stayed with. And now Nick was heading down the same road. He left a safe place, safe people. But it needed to happen. Big's bears were his symbol of strength. And now they're gone.

He'll succeed where Finnick had failed. But what if something goes wrong? What if he throws away the future he could still have? A future with Jennifer; a home with a strong, independent wolf deserving of the word "hero." And the close connection he could have to the others through his relationship with her. All of that weighed on him now. It pulled at this choice; this potential mistake.  _So many mistakes_.

Nick paused near a group of trees, inhaling the ash still wafting through the air. The branches tangled around each other above him. Something serious happened earlier. And the forest smelled like it survived a huge barbecue gone wrong. Nick stared through the thick of trees and toward the path through the wall leading to Tundratown. He clutched the rifle tight in his paws.

"You hurt him, Finnick. But I'll kill him." The winds blowing out of the tunnel were sharp and frigid. The cold here would be enough for Big to tolerate, compared to the rest of the rainforest. It was here, Nick knew from long ago, that Big had a hidden den. But he couldn't remember where exactly. He had never been inside. But it was close. "Just follow the drop in temperature," he sighed. Rapidly approaching footsteps stole him from his thoughts. A bloodied hulk of fur slammed into him, sending him rolling backward in the frozen dirt. He groaned and sat up to see a one-eyed cat sneering down at him.

"Manchas!" The ashes must have dulled his scent because Nick didn't register any smells. Who else could be around? Manchas pulled him up to his feet. The cat, seven inches taller, held the fox by his neck.

"I've heard lots of new things about you. And...I'm in a really bad mood." Manchas winced. The dark couldn't hide the festering wound on his right eye and Nick couldn't help but stare.

"What's up, buddy?" said Nick.

"Leave himf. Fring himf to mfe." Nick glanced to his right. His pulse sharply jumped as he stared at a scarred Arthur Bigsby bending down to pick up the dropped rifle. The ugly teeth of Big were more noticeable now that the skin on the right side of his face looked torn off. Finnick got him good. But the appearance of those needle-like teeth were as frightening as they were revolting, with his lower lip shredded from the attack.

Manchas growled low in his throat and shoved Nick forward. He used one paw for these actions, making Nick wonder if he somehow hurt his other hand. In any case, it was small comfort to see that Big and his servant were clearly wounded. But it was also an encouraging reminder that they were vulnerable. That one way or another, they could be beat.


	36. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! Phew. Happy New Year! I will do some touch ups to a few of the earlier chapters since I most likely changed a bit of how I write and since this has been going on a while, I noticed some small writing change that I'd like to add to my earlier chapters. Always open to comments, complaints, questions, tips. Hang tough. Hard chapter incoming!

"Father, what should we do with him?" asked Manchas. Big examined the rifle in his paws and brushed off the dirt that collected from it hitting the ground.

"We wust...talk." He walked up to Nick, who couldn't help having his ears pinned back. He worked to keep a firm posture, but was sure he had enough nervous tension shooting through him to send small tremors through Zootopia. "Flease forgive wy sweech," Big slurred. His breath whistled through the gaping wound in his cheek. His teeth and tongue were exposed to the elements. Half of his bottom lip was missing. He slurped what spittle leaked out of the wound. "Finnick saw to offew me cosmetic surgewy. What a generous fox."

"He did a fine job," retorted Nick.

"You think it funny?" growled Big. Manchas moaned behind Nick as he guarded him with a clawed paw on the back of his neck. The painful sigh he gave helped bolster the little courage Nick clung to. "Manchas. There is sowm medication for you. I'll call fo a doctoh."

"I'll kill that rabbit. Tear his ears off," mumbled Manchas.  _Rabbit_? Nick grinned.

"Hey, you guys started this mess. Eye for an eye, yeah?" A stinging slap shook Nick's vision. Manchas then dug his claws into the top of his head.

"Shut up!"

"To the den," said Big. Manchas let his hot, angry breath run over Nick's scalp as he continued to tug, pulling the skin and digging with his claws.

"Ah!" Nick snarled as the burn crept through his head and set his ears ringing while being pushed forward. He tried to ignore the sudden sticky warmth leaking down his head from several spots.

"Where is mwy daughter?" asked Big.

"I don't know!" These sick mammals. They should have gone for medical attention. The wounds they were tolerating must be festering. Nick tried to make sense of them as he was guided out of the Rainforest and toward the border edge into Tundratown. Things became clear when he thought about the ZPD and their efforts. Big's public attack, his gloating on television. And the desperation of Big's bears. There must be a massive hunt on the way to apprehend the shrew.  _Oh no..._

The confidence Nick felt when marching to the rainforest was gone. He should have listened to Fangmeyer. He should have waited. Big was done. He holed up because there was nothing left. It was just as Jennifer,  _Officer_  Jennifer Fangmeyer said. But in his grief, Nick let his impatience and desire to pull his own weight get the better of him. He cursed himself for his stupid arrogance. For ignoring the advice of professionals doing their jobs. Now Bigsby had a rifle to fight with. And he was being held hostage. It was Finnick's mistake all over again.  _I am a fool!_

Nick ducked his head and walked down an icy slope leading into a passage. He heard a faint rumbling noise coming from the darkness. The motors of the climate wall, he figured. It generated a noise deep yet sharp; the distinctly terrible whistle of chilling winds. In comparison, the hissing emitted from Big's wound was pathetic sounding. Perversely, Nick felt a pang of sympathy for him. The floor went from the wet slickness of fresh ice to sticky solid as they walked deeper inside. They followed the tunnel as it gently curved to the right, then it stopped and opened up into a circular room.

Lights were pinned to the curved wall, frozen in place, yet functional. Clever. A low table with magazines and folders were neatly set to a side. Cigars, drinks, and pictures of a family of Shrews sat in a triangular pattern in the center. And next to it all, a digital camera. Big sat cross-legged in front of the table. He rested the rifle on his lap and wordlessly pointed to the other end of the table. Manchas released Nick. He hurried to take a seat in front of Big.

"You hurt me when you decided to stawt avoiding me. I wanted you to bwe successful. I helped you start your little food business. I offewed you so much." Big slurped some more as he spoke. "I thought we had an understanding."

"Father Big, you're in bad shape. Just surrender and seek help. You can't force people to obey your every command." Big grimaced. He glanced at the pictures on the table, one of an old female shrew kissing him on the cheek. Another with a large group in a gathering of sorts. Everyone eating at a table in formal dress attire.

"You're a bettah pahson than I am. And you hoyt me. So I'll kill you. Neveh let the swallest slight go without answer. That is the one lesson mwy Grandma told me and I keef it to my haht. I am brutality. And I am pwoud of it." Big smiled, weakly. But it was enough to make Nick turn his gaze away in horror. He thought about lunging for the rifle, but the presence of Manchas prevented him from acting.

"Call your f-f-fwends. I want to know who helfed you. You couldn't haf lasted as you have without help. I could use some tawget practice." With a trembling paw, Nick reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out his phone and stared at his reflection. For whatever reason, there was a prolonged silence. Nick was glad that he wasn't being rushed. He sat for what felt like a minute, staring at his idle phone, staring into his reflection as if waiting for it to give him an escape route. A secret answer to his predicament.

He scrolled through his contact list; a list full of names he no longer communicated with. Some of the names were of deceased people. Others were just mammals he drifted from. And when he reached the final gift given to him by Finnick, a lifeline, Nick hit the call button. The words, "When you are ready" written on the crumpled paper he received from Finnick in the bar returned to him. He sighed as it rang once in his ear, still unsure of what to say. Then he looked at the rifle Big held protectively under his skinny pink fingers.

He thought back to his conversation with Fangmeyer in Jack's home, just after the others set out to City Hall. He asked her several curious questions about his heroine's work as a SWAT officer. She told him something: Codes. Police codes pertaining to hostage situations.

"Nick!?" said a surprised Judy. Nick inhaled a breath, his tongue pinned down by the beating lump in his throat. Big nodded encouragingly.

"Don't mess this up," he mumbled. "Tell her where you are. But lie about the finer details." Nick glanced at Manchas, then Big.

"Nick, are you alright?"

"I'm pinned under a tree," he began. "In the Rainforest District. I was chasing Big and I fell near a burned tree. He pushed it on me. I think my ankle is broken. Are you around?"

"He's there? Why are you by yourself? What were you thinking? I'll come over right away. McHorn is with me. And a few others." He nearly jumped from where he sat. He needed to tip them off somehow. There had to be a way. He hastily said,

"Just listen. I'm in between two address codes, alright? If you see code 1130, keep going into the forest away from the main road." There it was: 1130, the code for a hostage situation. He desperately hoped that she understood the meaning. "But don't go past 1148. 1148 means you went too far. Backtrack, alright? Let the others know so that they can help you find me. It's a Big tree along the border's edge between the Rainforest and Tundratown. Between 1130 and 1148." 1148, the second code, the warning of a possible ambush.

"Right, 1130, and 1148. Thanks, Nick." He hung up the phone, and in an effort to drive home his cooperation, he let it sit on the table in front of Big.

"Those are some strange addresses, Nick," said Manchas.

"I've worked there before, Manchas. You should know that. There is a neighborhood not too far away. And if you hurry, you might just catch her. You can see the houses for yourself."

"I live in the rainforest, Nick. Mr. Big, surely you don't believe this?" Big gingerly touched the wound, running his fingers along the cut on his face. Nick found it painful to watch him play with the gash.

"You might live there, but you don't know every street and every neighborhood," said Nick.

"I'm a limo driver!"

"Enough! For now, we will wait for a second call." With that, silence returned to the den. The unbearable tension made Nick grow impatient.

"I'm sorry." A lame remark to continue the conversation. To placate Big and keep him distracted. Maybe even dull his fury and hate, if possible.

"'Sorry' won't return my eye. Or fix Big's face." Manchas imposed his size over Nick. Big only scowled. The expression somehow looking more sinister with the wound. But Manchas kept his shadow above Nick. Nick ignored the angry phantom on the table, casting its dark rage over him. Instead, he focused on the pictures. Memories dear to Big, no doubt. Nick pointed to the picture of the feast.

"Is this at a wedding?" Big sighed emotionally.

"Yes. I was with mwy cousins at the time. There was two floody fights wy the end of that night." He smirked. Nick looked stunned. What a special ferocity shrews held. He fidgeted in his seat as he saw all possible doors to pull at Big's heart shut down, Manchas' shadow was now more prominent on his awareness. Monstrous and large. Menacing like the two predators he sat sandwiched between. With each passing second, Nick's courage slipped further away.

"Was it worth it?"

"Yes," said Big. "We shwews don't do well in lawge gwoups. We ah fery territowial. Efen awongst our own. Did you know I tried to r-r-run foh Mayor?" If there was a merciful God, Nick privately thanked it at this moment for Big's failed political career. "They claim I didn't have the suffort to r-r-run. I couldn't meet the wequirements. That's a lie. They denied me foh feing a shrew. This city is frejudiced. It can be lonely sometimes."

"Now there is a story that sounds familiar," mumbled Nick.

"I'll say it again, Nick. I did so wuch to frotect and defend you this year. Your ungrateful attitude will fe met with wath."

"Having Delgato and a bunch of goons extort money from me and destroy my harmless little truck, my business, was all part of your love too?"

"The lion acted on his own and was dealt with for that. He and his entire family is now gone. I did that for you! We...ate them." Finally hearing the truth only made it worse than what Nick imagined. Because the touching sentiment of being thought of was blended such a gruesome mode of retaliation. An entire family gone and devoured by this creature before him. Nick could have never wished for such revenge. Only Arthur Bigsby can make sentimental thought be so perverse, so sinister and so revolting. In this moment, though Nick never believed in an embodiment of good or evil. Big, in this instance, was becoming so close to being a living entity of something close to that. But through it all, through their past relationship, however tenuous, Nick looked at Big and felt as much sadness for the shrew as he felt repugnance and fear. He hoped, not anymore for some way to escape, but for a quick death by the hands of the monsters that held him at their mercy.  _Mercy_...

Finally, the familiar tune of his phone cut the wicked silence.

"No, I won't give uuup. No, I won't give iiiin 'til I've reached the end." He picked that tune specifically for the counterforce to the evil that ensnared him; the first officer to give him a chance. Judy Hopps. The one that always kept him in her thoughts, from their first chilly encounter and beyond. It was her who protected him from being thrown back into the system for illegal behavior, for foolishly conspiring with Big. It was her who sent Fangmeyer and McHorn after him when Delgato had brought independent goons to rob him of his humble fortunes. She was always there in the background, watching over him like an overbearing, loving bratty sister.  _Sister_...

Just like family. The word, so twisted when coming from Big, was pure when Nick mumbled it. When Nick thought about it, he felt a sense of protection. Courage. Warmth. With blurred eyes and no more strength or will to restrain his feelings, he whimpered and shot a paw forward for his phone. But Big was surprisingly quick and snatched it up from the table.

"Hold on there!" He smiled and let the phone ring. Nick knew he looked far too desperate in his attempt to claim it. "It's mwine now." Big placed the phone in his pocket and grabbed the rifle. After admiring it once more, he turned to the entrance and slowly paced to the threshold. He turned to Nick and Manchas and said,

"With this, I should see the helpahs cofing."

"I killed Kevin!" shouted Nick.

"What?" Big took two large steps toward Nick, who slowly stood up. Manchas pressed his claws down on Nick's shoulders. He cringed and grit his teeth through the pain.

"I shot him and watched him choke to death on his blood. Your strong arms are gone. Both of them." The whistling from Big's breath increased in strength and speed. He growled as he spoke,

"When I weturn, You'll die slow fy wy hands. I'll skin you with wy fingers. Chain Nick to the wall!"

"Gladly." A burning sting tore a cry from Nick as Manchas buried his claws deeper into Nick's shoulders, ripping through his thin black sweater. The panther pulled him by his skin and fur more than his shirt and dragged him on his heels to the far wall of the den. He froze when Manchas pressed his large, thick fangs on his head. Slowly, Manchas applied pressure to his scalp and held him in place as he forced his claws out of Nick's shoulders. Nick whimpered and grunted, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Manchas then pulled Nick's arms up and slammed his wrists against the wall, sending a numbing shock through his paws. He locked Nick to frozen shackles he didn't notice before.

"Big is out hunting. Sure. But that doesn't mean I can't have my fun." Manchas' large head took up most of Nick's view. The cat gave him a sinister grin, made all the more grotesque by the wound of his missing eye. But he looked ill. Weak.

"I take it you messed with the wrong rabbit, huh?" A slap.

"Shut up! Oh." Manchas backpedaled two steps and held his head. An idea struck Nick.  _If I could increase his headache_...

"Yeah, I see. A big predator, one of a line of the most respected, beautiful and feared species, the big cats, and you were worked over by prey. Couldn't handle Jack the badass, huh? You wuss." Manchas Growled and charged, he tugged on Nick's tail. That's it. Get his blood pumping to his head. Get him pissed.

"Big won't mind if I tear this off." Nick yelped, and his knees buckled. An electric buzz shot up his spine as Manchas tugged on his tail. But then there was nothing. He regained his footing to see Manchas on a knee, holding his head. He tried to stand and panted weakly. Nick watched as fresh blood began to leak from the wound.

"Where's that fucking...medicine?" said Manchas. He weakly reached out with extended claws to scratch at Nick's face. When he failed to make contact, he wobbled to his left and fell over. Nick let go of the breath he held and relaxed. He watched Manchas for a moment, and when he didn't move, felt enough comfort to conclude he passed out. It was a wonder how he walked around for so long with such a wound.

The minutes blurred together in the silence of the den. Nick didn't bother to look around and make sense of the details of his environment. The dome-shaped interior was dizzying with all the blue. It was as if he was stuck in a large frozen air bubble in the bottom of the ocean. A faint bang in the distance startled him to attention. Then there was one more. He snarled and squirmed against his shackles. His paws were numb, but he wasn't willing to damage them pointlessly if he couldn't weaken his restraints. He tried to reach for the right band with his head, but the distance was too great. Heavy steps slowly made their way back to the den.

"Looky heah!" A limp figure with a fluffy short tail first appeared. Her legs dangled in the air as she was draped over Big's shoulder. He turned to drop the motionless Judy Hopps and placed the rifle standing on the wall next to her head. Nick squeaked a fearful cry and stared. Red streaked over her uniform and made its way down her left side. A hole cut into her chest.

"Y-y-you..." Nick couldn't speak. He struggled to breathe and comprehend what appeared to be the death of all his hopes, his mercy, his family. Big looked at Manchas.

"Oh what? Did he fass out fwom his wounds? Feh!" Nick remained frozen with blurred eyes strangled by tears as Big approached.

"I'll start with your eyes. Pluck them out. One for each bear."

"Blegh! Blood...bloood...and...death!" Big froze with his hands in mid-reach of Nick's face. He turned, and Nick looked to see Judy holding the rifle aimed at Bigsby.

"McHorn!" shouted Judy to the entrance of the den. "Arthur Bigsby, you are under arrest!" Any attempt to make words were overpowered by Nick's joyful bawling. He laughed through tears as Judy talked down Big. McHorn and two large tigers in SWAT uniform entered the den. She turned her gaze away from Big and Manchas every few moments, no doubt disgusted by their wounds. The tigers made their way over to Manchas, who moaned back to consciousness. When Judy finally made her way to Nick, he only managed to choke out,

"I love you!" She cut through his shackles and held him tight in her arms once he was free.

"Never give up, Nick."


	37. A New Zootopia

" _Change comes fast..."_

Jack pressed his back into the hard wooden seat at the Cat Heart auditorium. Officers filled the rows waiting to bid a final farewell to Chief Bogo, who limped to the stage to officially announce the replacement Chief of Police for Zootopia. He warmed to Judy's arm being draped over his shoulders and smiled to his right.

"You're comfy," she said.

"You're cute." A whine of feedback pierced the air as Chief Bogo tapped once on the microphone placed on the stand. The audience of officers fixed their gazes his way.

"It has been a year full of hardships. The end of which has brought us several new changes. Just last month we saw the complete restoration of Savanna Central's police headquarters. Yesterday we saw a modest increase in enrollment and welcomed two hundred officers into our ranks. And we even welcomed our first fox mayor. In continuing with the changes, I am here today to officially announce – as most of you are aware by now – my retirement." Judy shuddered a breath. Her bubbling emotion pulled Jack's attention away from Bogo's next words.

"You emotional bunny. Don't get me going too."

"S-sorry." He kissed a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Change comes fast. But at least this time, it's for the better." Judy nodded and stroked his right ear, sending a warm tingling sensation across his scalp. "Mm. More of that later?" She giggled.

"Yes."

"Please join me in welcoming your new Chief of Police: Mike McHorn!" The officers rose swiftly from their seats. Mammals of all heights and sizes applauded and shouted their sounds in welcome as Bogo gave McHorn a firm handshake, a nod, and a brief exchange of unheard words.

Being stuck in the middle, Jack and Judy had a poor view of the stage once everyone stood. To his left, Jack spotted Fangmeyer on the edge of a row just two down from him. He chuckled at her enthusiastic cheering. He elbowed Judy and pointed at Fangmeyer. When he got her attention, Judy stifled a laugh when she started fist-pumping and howling. It wasn't long that her howling set off the other wolves in the audience, filling the space with a chilling echo.

"Thank you, alright. Settle down. Settle..." McHorn orchestrated with his large hands for the audience to sit. Slowly the officers complied and grew silent again. "This was a long road. I'm grateful for the near-unanimous support I received in my bid for chief. I will do my best to honor those that have preceded me." Measured, calm and articulate. Jack marveled at what he was witnessing. McHorn stood firm, and his voice was confident. He even smiled as he addressed the crowd.

"Judy," called Jack.

"What is it?"

"He looks good up there huh?" She wiped her eyes and sighed, giving the stage one more look.

"Yes. He does. It's going to be a good year."

"Congrats on making detective, Officer Hopps." She punched his arm. This time more gently than she usually does, which he was grateful for.

"Oh, you can congratulate me later," she winked. The way she said it was so titillating. Jack purred and said,

"Our babies will be brilliant and beautiful."

"All of you. Please join me in a farewell salute to our former Chief of Police: Barry Bogo." Jack and Judy quickly stood and turned to watch as Bogo carefully limped off the stage. He straightened as best he could, waving as he slowly walked up the aisle to their left. The walk was accompanied by tears and a band of lemurs playing brass instruments just off stage. McHorn remained in the center of the stage, watching and offering his own salute.

"Rest easy, sir," mumbled Jack as Bogo passed his row. Jack walked out of his row with Judy at the end of the celebration and made his way to Fangmeyer. Together, they waited patiently as the press scrambled for their share of Chief McHorn's time.

"Ugh. This is going to suck." A grinning Fangmeyer gently shoved Judy.

"Don't worry, Detective. I'm sure we'll have him to ourselves when it's over."

"Has anyone seen Nick?" asked Jack.

"He finally settled in at my place!" said Fangmeyer.

"It looks like we're all coupling up then. Judy is going to stay with me."

"Good for you!" Fangmeyer smiled then turned her attention to the line of reporters in front of her.

"She's intent to listen in on this, huh?"

"Yeah," sighed Judy. "But there's one thing I want to ask." Judy gently tugged on Fangmeyer's shirt. Fangmeyer spun around and fixed her blue eyes on Judy. "Hey, Jennifer, you think we could help out Nick? I mean, if we could fix his record somehow..."

"I've thought about that. Let's ask McHorn together. He deserves a second chance." Nick, of course. What could be done for him? As Jack looked at the reporters in front of him, an idea sprung.

"Ladies." They turned to face him. "Why don't we get him some positive spotlight? Tell his story. How he helped us bring down Big. All of it. It could be a powerful way to get him back on good terms with the public."

"Genius! Let's see if Mike will go for that." They didn't have to wait much longer as McHorn loudly expressed his thinning patience with the row of reporters. He walked off stage and ignored the flashes of the cameras and pleas from the crowd and approached Jack and the others.

"Let's go before they make us all their dinner," said McHorn. The group smiled and marched out of the auditorium.

"Hey, McHorn, I wanted to ask something," said Fangmeyer.

"Already and I haven't even been chief for an hour. Is there some special favor you want?" She pinned her ears back and sheepishly turned her gaze away.

"You better get used to it. But this should be an easy request compared to what might come in the future from who knows where," said Jack.

"Hmph. Alright." McHorn gently shoved Fangmeyer by the shoulder and looked at his party. "What do you got?"

"We want you to help clear Nick of his past offenses," said Judy.

"Oh?" Chief McHorn stopped walking and nodded. They stood just outside the auditorium now. The afternoon was alive with chatter and laughter.

"We're pretty familiar with him by now. And given all that happened, he has zero chance of making it on his own. But he's been faithful to us since the start. I think we owe him that. I owe him that," said Jack. Judy kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear,

"Thank you." Fangmeyer gave both him and McHorn a begging look. McHorn continued to weigh the request. His ears flicked, and he sighed in thought.

"He was the one that gave us the names of Big's key players. He helped lead us to him. He even lost a close friend in the process and even saved Judy from one of Big's goons. He's worth redeeming in full."

"Alright," said McHorn. "I'll see what I can work on. But he's going to need more than a clear record on paper."

"I can work with you on the press to get him a good public reputation," said Jack.

"Then it's settled." Fangmeyer sighed in relief and hugged McHorn. "I can't wait to tell him the good news." She then rigorously shook Jack by the shoulders saying, "Thank you!" He poked her in the ribs and laughed.

"We'll go tell him together." Jack draped an arm over Judy, who kept her paws in her pockets. She leaned into him as they walked to Fangmeyer's home.

* * *

"Wolfie! What's with all the officers? Am I finally under arrest for being handsome?" Nick waved inside the group then shut the door behind him.

"Well, someone's in a good mood," said a surprised Fangmeyer. Jack created some distance between himself and the others, enjoying a stretch and some extra personal space. He sat on a teal colored couch in the living room, mentally complimenting the cozy home. The hardwood floors glowed with amber light created by translucent brown curtains filtering the suns rays.

"I'm glad we could all meet together just once and not have to focus on any serious work. Big got facial surgery and was convicted on most counts. His partner Bellwether was also convicted. And most of the smaller problem people were dealt with. Yes, good times ahead." Nick stuffed a small notepad into his back pocket. He tilted his head at McHorn and Judy as they stood by the door, then walked over to Jack and let himself drop down beside him on the couch.

"What's going on, Stripes?"

"That's Special Agent Savage to you, Mr. Wilde," teased Judy.

"Oh, sorry mom."

"Nick, don't sass Judy," laughed Jack. McHorn strolled to the entrance of the kitchen as if it were his own.

"Sorry, dad."

"Can we keep him?" asked McHorn.

"If he behaves I'll let you take him out for daily walks," said Fangmeyer. She offered Mchorn a glass and poured him a beer.

"That's kind of why I'm here," said Judy. She walked to Jack and Nick and placed her paws back in her pockets.

"Say what?" Nick stared with interest. His tail wagged, beating on Jack's thigh.

"We're offering you a second chance," said Jack, batting away his tail. "At everything."

"How?" asked Nick. His voice suddenly business-like.

"I'm going to do what I can to scrub your record clean, Nick. As the new Chief of Police, I have a certain level of authority. And these wonderful officers and officials here have convinced me that you don't belong with the riff-raff. You don't deserve to be shut out of opportunities your whole life because of what Bigsby has done to the city. That's all over and done with."

"It's a new Zootopia!" said Jack. He patted him on the shoulder and listened to Nick's heavy sigh.

"You can do that for me?"

"Nick, you've helped us since the beginning to deal with Bigsby. You've been faithful and reliable throughout. Whatever happened before no longer applies. With McHorn correcting your record and me working on the public front, you'll be hailed as a model citizen. A hero. You did, after all, save officer Hopps from a harrowing encounter with a vile weasel." Nick crossed his arms and hugged himself. He shuddered a breath then leaned forward on the couch. Fangmeyer, unable to contain herself, rushed to him and hugged him tight.

"It's alright, Red."

"See that? He's overwhelmed already. And with our new fox mayor, Mayor Cunningham, prejudice toward foxes might even settle down."

"Nick." Judy walked forward. She pulled out a folded paper with the ZPD Logo printed on top. "We know you've lost so much. But we also know that you can't get by without a good job."

"And if you're thinking about going through with that amusement park idea for when you're old and gray, you better start squirreling away the cash now," said Fangmeyer. Nick wiped his eyes and grabbed the application from Judy.

"Oh!"

"I could use a good partner. How about it?"

"It's not easy work, but you'll do fine." The home grew silent. Nick gave a respectful nod to Jack and with a steady breath, stood up and looked at McHorn.

"Chief McHorn, sir?"

"Yes, Nick?" Chief McHorn smiled at the formal address.

"Do you have a pen?"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are some things that didn't make it into Power Struggle:
> 
> I scrapped an idea where Big and Jack met and negotiated terms to divide Zootopia. In the very beginning of coming up with the idea, there was a bigger mob element and Jack was going to lead an illegal underground lifestyle as a second mob boss competing for Big's resources. I scrapped this because I didn't want it to be any more gloomy than intended. I thought having Jack be a second villain would have made the difference between them less stark.
> 
> Finnick had a motorcycle and not a van. There was even a highway chase that got removed.
> 
> Nick when learning about Jack and Big plotting to split the city, kills Big. He then goes after Jack, fearing he would be just as bad. Judy, learning that Nick was going after Jack, intervenes and kills him to protect her lover. All of this got removed when I decided to keep Jack away from the mob scene.
> 
> There was a different event with the climate wall where Jack bribes a group of penguins under the control of Big to blow up part of the wall and have Big framed for it. Removed for above reasons.
> 
> The boat scene was different and there was an ocean chase. Bellwether was on the boat with the bears. Jack gets lost at sea after being injected with the drug. The ending was Nick leaving Zootopia to help look for him.
> 
> I did some edits to the first half of the story. The first 13 chapters were corrected. Removed bloat, off point text, fixed small errors, corrected perspective where necessary.
> 
> On to other things...


End file.
